Shifting Views
by Shura Pirate
Summary: Sequel to Shifts in the Days: Declarations of love are not always quick to come, but when they do occur, it creates a feeling unlike any other. However, saying you're in love and living out that love is a whole other journey that the once famed 'God of Death' and the Angel of the Kaleido Stage will come to realize. STORY UNDER REVISION *5/16/2016 REVISED CHP 16-18 UP*
1. Chapter 1 - Revised

**Revised Chapter 1**

**AN: As of 1/28/2016, I will be revising this story. **

**I'm sorry to inconvenience anyone, but as a writer I felt that I did not do a proper sequel.** **So, I will be replacing chapters as I go. I do not want to delete this story from ffn, so I thought this would be the better route. Each chapter will have a note of revision at the top so you'll know what is the new chapter.** Once I have completed the revision, I will only keep this revision note in chapter one.

Same warning, there will be more of the older teen moments with the romance.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kaleido Star. If I did, there would be a heck of a lot more episodes with Sora and Leon. Even just Leon's back story would have been great.

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The weather was warm, but not surprising given that they were in summertime.

Leon stepped out of the practice rooms, no longer in his gear. He had his hair in a low ponytail while he sported a white shirt with casual, loose pants. His normally darker designer clothes were much too warm for such a summer day, even for someone of his caliber. On his way to the outside stage, Leon paused in order to look at a poster. The latest production _The Little Mermaid_ was a seasonal show, generally done in the summertime though, the training and setup was done in spring. He looked at his partner in her mermaid getup, staring up at her tall friend Anna as the prince.

He did not feel slighted by not co-starring with Sora. He was not concerned about losing his spot as the head male lead of the Kaleido Stage for he knew that Kalos wouldn't dare fire him, not unless the man wanted to lose business. He faintly smirked. No, he knew what his worth was in the circus world. He understood that the casting had been set long before he came here. It was a tradition of theirs and he was not one to cause his partner any headaches about changing it. He could bear to share, if only for a couple of months.

Any longer than that however…Well, then there _will_ be issues.

As it stood now, their practice times were cut to a third of the time they usually had. He was displeased by the drop, only mollified by the fact that they still went out on dates every so often. However, he knew that, no matter his feelings for her, he would be second. It stung a little to be outdone by a stage, but alas, he cared too much for her to let his pride get in the way.

He stared at her image on the poster and then sighed.

_Look what you've done to me_, he wiry thought. Never, in all his years performing, did he think he would be competing against a _stage _for a woman's attention_._ _How ludicrous. _

Not to say that he would change his situation.

The peace in his heart, the teasing, her soft touches, their fleeting glances, her red stained cheeks as they said 'good night' after kissing outside her dorm door for minutes and minutes, making him wish he could just stay there indefinitely with her arms wrapped around him and his lips on hers…

Why would he want to be rid of her?

After all the time he took to get her attention - over four months, at the very least – and now these long months together, he considered himself a fortunate man.

The faint shadow of a smile appeared.

He looked down at his watch and then turned away from the poster. They were going to be late. The last showing had been almost half an hour ago, yet he hadn't seen her around. He had asked one of her friends—_Mia_, he told himself; it would be good if he remembered their names—and she had said that the redhead was probably still in the water.

If she was, he didn't blame her. It was rather warm.

Light splashing could be heard as he approached the water stadium.

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Sora contently sighed as she floated on her back.

The flippers and the forearm accessories she had ditched long ago. The headpiece was fairly light, so she left it on her head. She sighed again. The water was not as cool and refreshing as when she first got in…but maybe she can go turn on the waterfall. She smiled. _That would be terrific. _

Footsteps sounded closer and closer to the pool; a grin played along her face. _I bet I can guess who it is. _She probably took too long in the water. _Whoops._ She hoped she wouldn't be in too much trouble with her partner. An idea popped into her head and she grinned to herself. _If I'm already in trouble…Why not? _

With a quick glance at the approaching figure, she judged the location she needed to head towards and then she submerged.

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He came to the edge of the pool only to see her duck underwater.

Crouching down, he watched her come towards him. The first time he had seen her in costume, he instantly approved of it. To him, she fit the description of a mermaid: playful, spirited, and naturally alluring. The last quality he knew she would not agree with. As he watched her lithe body move underwater, he knew he would heartily disagree with her.

She neared him, but still stayed underwater. _Curious._ He thought she would have risen to the surface when she neared the edge of the pool.

When she was very close to the edge, her body shot up half out of the water and pecked him on the lips. He blinked at the sudden action, but quickly grabbed her before she went under again.

"You caught a mermaid," she teased.

Amused, he replied, "Do I gain anything?"

She gave him another peck on the lips. "A kiss."

One hand stayed around her as the other cradled the back of her wet head. "I catch a legendary being and all I get is a kiss?"

"Would multiple kisses be better?"

His eyes languidly traced her lips. "I suppose that will have to do."

"Good," she stated as her arms went around his neck. Her lips lightly touched his as she finished with, "Because that's what you're getting."

He leaned in the rest of the way, impatient for his prize. Eyes half closed, he nearly missed the mischief in her eyes. _Don't tell me – _He did not get to finish his thoughts as she pulled him down into the pool. She let go of him as soon as he went head first into the water, quickly putting some space in between them. She laughed as he righted himself, his hair disarray and some strands stuck over his face despite the ponytail.

"Aw why the frown, grumpy cat?"

"…My cell phone is in my pocket."

"Oooh." Well, that kind of took the fun out of that trick. "Umm…sorry?"

"Sorry," he rumbled out with a stern face, slowly swimming over to her, "is not good enough."

She yelped as he lunged for her, the water slowing him down enough for her to dodge.

"I'm _super _sorry!"

"I'm certain you are," he murmured. "However…" he grinned in feral satisfaction as he grabbed her ankle before she swam off. She squeaked as he dragged her over to him. "There are repercussions for every action."

Before she could respond, he ducked down into the water, pulling her with him. She quickly gulped some air before going down, having seen this coming the moment he grabbed her ankle. He let go of her ankle, staring as her red hair floated around her head. She was about to surface when his silver ponytail shimmered under the water, gently swaying near him.

He should have been the mermaid. _Erm, merman. _

He shifted in the water, making her stiffen. Even with his mouth tightly closed, he still managed to give her a grin. _Here we go…_ She felt the giddy excitement as he shot forward like a great white shark, giving pursuit to her speedy getaway. She let out a muffled, bubbly laugh as she twisted in the water, narrowly missing his reach. She took a chance to look back, her eyes widening as he gave a great push off of the pool side and deftly caught her around the waist. She opened her mouth in surprise and with a grimace she closed it back.

"Mm! Mmh mmmh!"

He got the wordless request, bringing them to the surface.

"Gahh! *cough cough*" she made a face, "Ugh."

"We are now even."

"You purposefully wanted me to choke on chlorine water?" She pouted. "I thought you cared about me."

He quirked a brow. "So you did not want me to choke on this water when you initially pulled me in?"

"Noo...Not specifically to _choke._ Or drown. Just get a little wet."

He gave her a flat look. "A little?"

"Ok," she grinned. "A lot." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "But don't you feel so much cooler than before?"

"Much more wet," he murmured as he walked them to the pool's edge.

"Oh come on. Aren't you just a teeny weeny bit glad I pulled you in?"

"Watch your legs," he warned.

She quickly wrapped them around his waist and then he pulled them out of the water. He looked at his watch –thankfully the one piece of technology that was waterproof – and frowned.

"We're behind schedule."

"Schedule?" she tilted her head as she thought. "Oooh shoot, that's this weekend!"

He paused in bending over to grab her flippers and arm guards. "You forgot our trip?"

She gave him a sheepish look. "I um, got caught up in swimming."

He unhooked her legs from his waist. "For that, you can walk yourself."

"Leon," she half whined as he walked off. She huffed and grabbed the gear he had been ready to pick up for her. "You know how bad I am with times!" She jogged after him, jumping on his back when she got close enough. "I'm really happy that we'll have some quality time," she quietly murmured.

He turned his head a little.

"Get changed and I'll come back for you."

She smiled and then pecked his cheek. "You're the best." She jumped off of his back. "But why do you have to come back for me? You're leaving?"

He turned around to face her. "I need dry driving clothes."

She owlishly blinked. _Yeah, driving in wet clothes will be pret…ty…_ Her thoughts trailed a little as she registered what she was seeing. He was wet all over, the once crisp white shirt now plastered to his chest and stomach. Her face flushed, seeing the color of his skin through the wet fabric.

_I think I need another dip in the pool._ The sun shouldn't still be this hot by now.

He saw her appraising eyes and the following blush. "Like what you see?" he stretched his arms out more, giving her an unrestricted view. "It is your doing."

That made her face heat up to astronomical levels. "Sh-shush you." She quickly walked by him. "Chop chop. We're wasting time."

He wouldn't let her go that easily. With a couple of long strides he caught up, putting an arm around her waist from behind.

"Do not be so shy," he murmured, his fingers lightly tracing the temporary tattoo along her stomach, "I like seeing you wet as well."

She quickly turned to him, her mouth gaping a little. "Y-you flirt!"

"The biggest," he casually agreed, "especially when it comes to you."

He covered his mouth with hers. Her neck was at an awkward angle, so he kept it short - but definitely not without feeling. Her fingers grasped the arm around her waist as he angled his mouth, making her lips naturally part for him. Her eyes closed and she softly mewled. _Such sweet lips_… He would be content to kiss her for hours.

The alarm on his watch sounded off. He silently sighed as he broke the kiss.

"Be ready in 20 minutes," he lightly warned before kissing her quickly and then completely letting her go.

She stumbled a little as her support walked off towards the parking lot.

"Only 20?" _Shoot. _She hadn't packed yet.

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AN: The chapter lengths will be varied.


	2. Chapter 2 - Revised

**AN: 1/2016 Revised chapter.**

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Sora let out a long sigh as she stared at the sea of traffic in front of them.

"How much longer is it?"

Leon refrained from sighing as well. "An hour or more. It all depends on the traffic."

She nearly whined. "We've been on the road for _hours –"_

"Four," he added.

"For _four_ hours!" She groaned as she slumped against the passenger seat. "Why did we think this would be fun again?"

"We were supposed to leave earlier."

She pursed her lips. "Hey, don't blame this all on me, mister."

"I am not the one complaining about the traffic."

"It's a natural response for someone as energetic as I am!" She wiggled her legs. "I can barely move anything here!"

Leon swiftly leaned down to her legs.

"H-Hey!" she lightly blushed as his hand grazed a calf. "Eyes on the road and hands to yourself, buster!"

She was jostled a little as her seat was suddenly pushed way back. He straightened up and put a hand back on the wheel, the other resting next to her. She looked down at her feet, seeing all the room she now had.

"…Thanks."

He inclined his head.

She looked over on his side, frowning when she saw how bent his legs were. "Hey Leon, do you want a break? Your foot must be tired of pushing on the pedals."

He shook his head. As if he would risk having her behind the wheel again. Once had been enough. "I appreciate the offer." He lightly placed his hand on her knee.

She squirmed as his thumb grazed her skin.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"N-no."

"Then why do you wiggle?"

"I um," her face flushed a little, not meeting his eyes, "…like it."

If she had been looking at his face, she would have seen his eyes lid. "You like me touching you?"

Her face reddened. "Don't say it like that," she hotly retorted, giving him a half glare, "You make it sound so scandalous!"

He gave her a smirk. "It isn't?"

"You know what? I take it back," she pressed her hands against her flaming cheeks, "I don't like it."

"You are not allowed to take that back."

"Allowed? According to what? To your unspoken 'rules'?"

"Yes."

"Well, according to _my_ rules, I can take it back given that you are being an impossible flirt, hence the things you do are not really serious."

He tilted his head. "You do not take me seriously?"

She crossed her arms. "Half the time, nope."

The car was quiet. She was surprised to feel him remove his hand from her knee. His face was unreadable. She frowned.

"I was joking. I didn't realize we were talking for reals there," she nervously laughed.

"No," he slowly murmured, "we weren't."

The car behind them honked. Traffic was moving once again, to Sora's relief. Though, it was short lived as Leon stayed quiet.

_We were just joking around…weren't we?_

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AN: I'm trying to be quick about the updates so we'll see how many I can get to today. XD


	3. Chapter 3 - Revised

**AN: 1/2016 Revised chapter.**

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"Wow…"

The view from their hotel room was spectacular. Sora stepped closer to the window, looking at all the lights sparkling in the night.

"We're so high up," she idly commented to herself.

"The view is best," she heard him murmur, "from up high."

She turned around in her evening dress, a light pink coloring her cheeks. He looked very sophisticated in his black suit and white dress shirt. As customary, he forewent any sort of bow tie or such and left the top buttons undone. His long hair floated as he walked to her, admiring her own outfit. It was a midnight floor length dress, some translucent material overlay the bottom half of the dress. He took her gloved hand, bringing her more into the light. Her clear earrings swayed with the motion and the light made the translucent material glimmer thanks to the shiny thread carefully woven into it.

"Beautiful."

She blushed more as his hand lightly touched the curls along her temples. "They're only glass earrings," she revealed, not feeling right to let him think she spent so much on this outfit when she didn't, "but I thought they looked close enough to diamonds."

"I was not talking about the earrings," he murmured.

"I know," she felt her cheeks heat up, "we should probably go."

He removed his hand, instead extending an arm out for hers. He locked the door and walked them into the elevator. As they stood side by side, she bit her lip.

"Leon?"

"Hm?"

"…You look dashing."

A slow smile made its way on his face. "I know."

She pursed her lips. That was the last time she was going to compliment him. The elevator doors swung open but he halted her before she could walk out.

"Thank you."

She ducked her head a little. "Just…saying what I see."

He leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "It is appreciated."

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The opera house hummed with the patrons' chatter.

"Whew!" Ungracefully, she plopped herself on her seat. "I didn't know I could run so fast in heels but we made it!"

Leon, a lot more calm and collected, closed the red velvety curtain of their box seats. "I still do not think that was a proper parking spot."

She waved his concern away. "Let's worry about that afterwards." He sat down in the seat next to her as she opened up her program. "_Madame Butterfly_… it says here that it takes place in Nagasaki, Japan in 1904."

Leon slowly blinked. "I thought you read the reviews for this opera."

"A quick synapsis," she cheerily said, "It's the story of an American U.S. naval officer and his young Japanese wife. He has to leave, but he does end up returning back to her."

He opened his program. He had not yet seen this one, so he did not know if she had missed a few plot points or not. Most operas were tragic, which is why he was surprised at her suggestion to see one together.

"So the main female character is CioCio-san, making her the prima donna…" she scanned the casting, "and her husband is Pinkerton, making him the primo uomo, right?"

"You remembered," he faintly smiled.

"I did," she grinned and then turned back to her program, "wait, it's sung in Italian?"

"Most operas are."

"But it's a Japanese setting," Sora then shrugged, "it's gonna be weird, but, I'm sure it's an amazing story."

The lights flashed. Sora closed her program and scooted closer to peer over the edge.

"It's starting!" she excitedly whispered.

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Sora none too silently sobbed as CioCio-san mournfully sung.

"Why would he get another wife?" she cried. "It doesn't make any sense – they were in love in Act One!"

Someone in the box next to them shushed her.

Sora didn't quiet her crying, especially when CioCio-san gave her son a final caress before putting a blindfold over his eyes. Her crying intensified as CioCio-san slit her own throat.

Sora couldn't be silent even if she wanted to be.

"Sora, it's only a story," Leon murmured as he put his arm around her in an attempt to comfort her. Her mascara was running down her cheeks, marring her sweet face. He pulled her to him, letting her cry against his chest. Lord, he should have looked up the reviews himself. "It's almost over."

"From Act One…" she sobbed, "Act One…"

"Could you two be any _louder?!"_

Leon gave a frosty glare at the man leaning over the railing next door. Seeing the ice, he quickly righted himself, hiding behind the divider to not let his presence be seen by the ice man.

"We're going."

Sora didn't protest as he led her out of the box.

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Leon opened their hotel room one handedly.

His date had cried herself to sleep, which gave him the privilege of carrying from the car. He sighed, pulled out his keys and placing them on the table. He lightly glared at the parking ticket that came out with his keys. That was an unfair amount to have penalized him for, especially since the sign had been so confusing even for him. He was most certainly going to protest this in court.

Her nose grazed his neck as she slowly awoke. "Sorry."

He sat them down on the couch. "Carrying you is nothing."

She shifted a little so she could look at him properly. "Sorry about the opera. I didn't realize how…emotional it would be." She sniffed a little upon recalling it. "But honestly, who came up with that? It was so sad…" Her eyes glossed over. "I wouldn't do that to you. Ever."

His brows rose. What in the world was she talking about? "We hardly are comparable to CioCio-san and Pinkerton."

"But their relationship – "

He chuckled at that. "They were married." He shook his head. "Some days, I'm not certain what goes on in your head."

She bristled a little. "I know that we're not the same, but they were in love and we –"

Both froze at that. Her eyes were wide and her breath caught in her throat. _Kami. _

"We what?" he quietly murmured.

"We…" her throat was so tight. She cleared it, trying to get some air flow going. "We care about each other." She swallowed a big lump. "So we're kind of…similar." She looked down at her hands resting on his chest, "I wouldn't just find someone else while we're seeing each other. That would be so callous."

He put his hand on the side of her face.

"As if you could do such a thing," he half chuckled. She was far too sweet to do that. His face was thoughtful. "Though, in the end, Pinkerton regretted his decision."

"What?"

"You were crying, but I saw. After she killed herself, Pinkerton came in to reconcile with her." He half shrugged. "He had been a moment too late, unfortunately."

"So…he did love her still."

"I suppose so."

She gave him a sad smile. "At least that was constant."

"Yes," he murmured.

Pinkerton had been arrogant, thinking he could have whatever he wanted, that his way was the set way. But he forgot about how strong emotions could be. He had not realized the extent of what he had done, had not considered the ramifications of his cold logic.

Leon could somewhat understand him.

But unlike Pinkerton Leon had not been too late, as was evident by the woman in his arms. He was fortunate to have a resilient partner that was willing to get deep into his skin to understand why he did the things he did. Nothing was too small or insignificant for her.

"...I do take you seriously," she murmured, rubbing her cheek against his palm. "Well, most of the time," she added with a crooked smile.

His eyes softened. It was the slight easing of the firmness around his brows and eyelids, but she could tell. _I knew that comment was still eating at him._ She leaned forward with a slight shake of her head. He kept too many things bottled up sometimes.

His eyes half closed as she kissed him, his hand against her cheek sliding into her hair. She softly sighed as the tip of his tongue blazed a languid trail along her bottom lip. Her lips parted a little, letting her tongue come out to brush against his fleetingly.

She pulled away a little. "I'm hungry."

"So I see," he half smirked.

"For _food_," she blushed.

He laid back comfortably as she reached over him to get the menu by the phone.

"Ok," she lay next to him, "there's chicken tenders. You want some of that?"

"We're at a nice hotel and you want to order something that can be purchased at a fast food restaurant?"

"Fine, how about shrimp or salmon dinners?"

"Either is acceptable."

"Ok. But I want fries still."

"…"

"Don't give me that look. I'm a simple girl with simple needs." She grunted as she climbed over him to get off the couch. "And right now, I need the bathroom." She handed him the menu. "Order for us please?"

He took the menu, shaking his head as she scurried to the restroom. She didn't even wait to hear if he would do the ordering. He reached over his head, blindly searching for the phone.

"_Room service. How may I help you?"_

"Yes, I would like –"

Sora shrieked. "Why didn't you tell me I look like a _raccoon_?!"

"- to order a shrimp and salmon dinner, with a side of fries. A cup of ketchup as well. I have a simple date."

"I heard that Leon!"

He grinned into the phone. She was the one that said it.

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AN: I have not seen the Opera personally, so I went with what I read about it. XD


	4. Chapter 4 - Revised

**AN: 1/2016 Revised chapter.**

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Leon laid in his bed, listening to the shower run.

He could hear her singing every so often when she would forget that she was not the only person around. He shook his head. She shouldn't be so self-conscious about singing in the shower. She wasn't terrible at it.

The shower cut off. He decided to get up and dress.

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Sora hummed as she looked at the tourist packet she snagged in the hotel lobby.

She picked up her mug of tea as Leon exited his bedroom door.

"Morning Leon! Did you sleep alright?"

"Fine. And you?"

"Oh, just great."

Silence. She loudly slurped her tea, cringing a little at the sound. It was strange for her to wake up, knowing Leon was on the other side of the wall. They got a hotel room with two separate bedrooms; honestly, it was the main reason why she agreed to do this weekend trip. If they had to share a room with no walls or anything to give each other privacy…

Her face flushed immensely. _May would call me a child._

But it was her comfort level and darn it, she can't handle them being in the same room while sleeping, much less being in the same _bed…_

"Are you alright?"

"Huh? Yeah, why you ask?" He opened his mouth with a grin and she immediately jumped in. "Never mind! Just know that I'm fine." She looked back down at the tourist pamphlet. "I didn't order any breakfast yet. Do you want to venture out and find a good breakfast place or just eat here?"

He lightly shrugged. "We can go out."

She smiled. "Alright! So…" she unfolded the map. "I think we're here, so after breakfast we can check out the city museum."

He peered over her shoulder. "We're over here."

She looked at the place he was pointing. It was on the other end of the city. "Hang on…but I thought…Oh wait." She turned the map around, seeing that it had been upside down. "Ok, now we're in business!"

She took a moment to look around the area. He went over to the coffee maker and started it.

"There's a diner here…then if we just take the trolley…" she unfolded the public transportation pamphlet. "The 211 one I think…we could go to the wax museum."

He stirred in some creamer. "Why the wax museum?"

"Well, I've heard it's good. And we're nearby so why not?"

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Life sized waxed figures stood everywhere, staring blankly at her.

"This is creepy…"

"What was that?"

"Ah," Sora looked around, "Look it's Justin Bieber."

"…Who?"

"Just a singer…never mind." She walked quietly next to Leon, not wanting to make a fool out of herself. "There's that one guy with the wand and scar…"

"Harry Potter?"

"Yeah! That guy!...Wait, you know Harry Potter but you don't know who Justin Bieber is?"

"I only know striking characters."

"But Bieber's a real person."

"Which goes to show how low on my radar he is."

She laughed. "You're a barrel of monkeys." She gasped as she saw who was at the end. "The president and first lady! Quick, take a picture!"

He easily caught her phone. "You've been wanting to meet the president?"

"Not really," she posed as if they were sharing a joke, "but my parents will get a kick out of this if I just _pretend _that I did."

He barely snapped the shot when she darted across the way. "Leon. _Leon!_ Quick!"

"You do know that wax figures will not move, therefore the need to hurry is unnecessary?"

He nearly laughed out loud. She was sitting down next to Forest Gump, pretending to blindly grab a chocolate from his box. But he was in public. He did not laugh loudly in public. That was something he left to his dear date.

"Ok. Now who you do want a picture with?"

He looked around, vaguely recognizing some people. She darted about, trying to find someone for him to stand next to.

"There's Beyoncé, or maybe Angelina Jolie…Oo! Or the Terminator! That would be good." She rounded the corner. "No! Neo! You got some shades to match him?"

"No."

"Ooo! Ricky Martin!"

"Sora –"

"Ok! I got it!" She came back to him, taking his hand and leading him to a set of characters. "Please tell me you know who these characters are."

"…The Avengers."

"Give the man a prize!" She placed a loud kiss on his cheek. "Ok, now go stand amongst them."

"Pardon?"

She took her camera from his hand. "You don't have to pose, but try to blend in with them."

"I'm not a superhero."

"So then be one of the helpless people they save."

"…Where do the heroes stand?"

She grinned widely. "Just between the Cap and Thor somewhere there."

He could not believe he was doing this. But knowing her, she wouldn't let them leave without him having at least one picture with one of the figures. There could be worse people he could be taking a picture with.

"Ok, stay still…"

"Omg, Margie. They have Leon Oswald over here!"

"What? Shut the front door! No way!"

Sora lowered the phone. "Um, that's not a –"

"Would you mind taking a picture for us?"

Sora looked down at the camera and then back up at the girl. Her grin curled devilishly. "Sure thing."

Faster than he thought humanly possible, the girls attached themselves to his arms.

"Smile!"

"Wow, his arms are warm."

Sora took the shot, gave the camera back and then quickly grabbed Leon's hand. "Bye!"

She quickly ran them to some dark corner just as the girls shrieked and their pounding feet could be heard as they passed them by.

"You let them believe I was a wax figure?"

"Would you rather have them know that it was really you and then try to awkwardly get rid of them or take them by surprise and then run like mad?"

"Third option," he tilted his chin confidently. "Glare at them and then continue on our way."

She shook her head at his naiveté. "Leon, a glare is basically a 'come hither' for those kinds of girls."

He slanted his eyes her way. "Which worked on you."

She crossed her arms. "I was never one of your groupies. I'm kind of insulted you just lumped me in with them."

"I only say what I have noticed, based on the information you gave me." He bent his head down to look straight into her eyes. "Did you or did you not continue to try to impress me after I glared and snubbed you?"

"T-That was different! You were being a know it all jerk!"

"It does not change the facts."

Her face was an explosion of red. "Doh, you think you're so clever!"

She made to walk away, but he spun her around, pinning her hands above her head against the wall behind them. He hotly kissed her, not giving her room to try to deny the fact that she had been attracted to him from the get go. Lord knows that he had been, deep down, though he had vehemently ignored it.

Not that he had that issue nowadays.

Her legs wrapped around his waist, bringing him closer. He was too engrossed in kissing her senseless to smirk. He let go of her hands, reveling in her touch as she dug her hands into his hair. He nudged her chin upwards. She softly gasped as he sucked along her pulse.

"A-hem!"

They stopped moving for a moment. Sora nearly groaned at the uniform of the security person.

_Darn it._

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	5. Chapter 5 - Revised

**AN: 1/2016 Revised Chapter.**

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The light piano and low candles couldn't distract her.

"Are you still thinking about the museum?" he amusedly asked as he took a sip of his drink.

"We were kicked out, Leon." She put her face in her hands. "I've never been kicked out of anywhere. I'm so embarrassed. I can't possibly go back there ever again."

"You are overreacting," he chuckled.

She split her fingers, letting an eye peek out so she could glare at him. "Why in the world would you decide that a wax museum was a good make out spot?"

"Heat of the moment, dear Sora."

Oh she didn't doubt it. That had to have been the most intense make out they have had in a long while and it didn't even last five minutes, let alone three. She uncovered her face, realizing something.

_Do you miss me that much?_

They haven't performed together for a good two months. Sure, she missed him when she did _The Little Mermaid_, but she was alright since she was still performing. Leon went to be a solo guest performer a couple of times, but otherwise…He was alone. She stood up from her seat, her sundress swishing as she stepped up to him.

He quirked a brow at her extended hand. "We haven't even eaten yet."

"We just ordered. It's going to be a while."

He tilted his head. "As I recall, you don't know how to dance."

"Then teach me."

He assessed her for a moment and then took her hand. "We'll go on the outskirts." He put her hand on his shoulder and held onto the other. "Step back with the foot that I step forward with. Then step forward with the foot I step back with."

"Ok…"

"…Good. Try not to look at your feet."

"Then how am I supposed to know –"

"Recognize the pattern. Feel me leading you."

"The pattern…" she scrunched up her nose. Was it back right foot or left?

She felt him tap her right foot. She stepped back, then forward. He turned them around and she eeped a little while she caught up. He had a small smile on. She moved her hand on his shoulder to hook around his neck, bringing them closer.

"This feels easier," she commented.

He lightly smelled her shampoo and then rested the side of his face on top of her head. She smiled. She was glad to have thought of this.

"The last time we danced was at Sarah's wedding."

He paused for a second and then continued dancing. "Yes it was."

"You said something to me then." She lifted her head up and he brought his head off of hers. "What was it?"

He looked down at her face. She was in earnest, he could tell. Her eyes seemed brighter whenever she was on adrenaline or excited. He wasn't certain if there was a science to explain that, but he loved it just the same.

He slowly shook his head. "Not yet."

She lightly frowned. "But you were prepared to tell me back then. Why not now? What's the difference?"

The difference was he had been speaking without thinking. He had not fully understood what would happen, what could change, by saying those words. He had not been fully prepared to undergo whatever her response would have been. In short, he had been impulsive, which was something he rarely was. But he would not make the same mistake twice. He was close to being ready. He felt like he just needed a little more time.

Emotionally, he could tell her anytime. His feelings from back then and now have only grown, not diminished. But rationally…he could not. There was more at stake than just feelings.

He looked behind her to the tables. "Our food has arrived."

She pursed her lips, but allowed him to lead her back to their table.

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She sat outside on their hotel balcony, looking at the night sky.

With all the lights around, there weren't that many stars visible. The moon was very distinct, of course. But she would have liked to have seen more stars. She felt a blanket being draped over her shoulders. She drew it close around her and brought her legs up to her chest.

"Why don't you tell me?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "How long has this been bothering you?"

"…Since Sarah's wedding."

"Sora…"

She stood up, not letting his hand touch her shoulder. "Look, I know you're not a touchy feely guy and I'm ok with that most days. But you can't just let something like this just _hang_ in the air without any explanation!"

"Hang? Like what you did last night?"

"What?"

He stepped up to her until she could feel his body heat. "Tell me what you really meant when you said we were like CioCio-san and Pinkerton."

Her face paled. "I…I can't," she whispered.

"Why not?" he taunted.

Her hands fisted the blanket tightly. "I just can't!"

His face went carefully neutral. "You see why I cannot." He stepped away from her and went back into the hotel.

She stood there with her hands shaking as she fisted the blanket even more. She raised her head up and marched back inside. He was making a new pot of coffee when she headed straight for him, causing his eyes to widen.

"I can't tell you…but I _want_ to, so badly. I just _can't_," she nearly shouted at him, "because I don't know what you'll do!"

If she were to tell him, would he reciprocate? Or would he turn her down with a bit of pity in his eyes? She didn't think she could stand it if he politely, but neutrally told her he didn't feel the same way, that he _couldn't_ see anything further than this. But this intensity of feeling, this silent understanding of each other and support…what else could it be? She was sure that he would reciprocate, but…

_Oh that stupid, frustrating 'but'._

She was so tired of it.

"I…," she could feel the words burning from her heart and spread all over her body, "_Ai-aishiteru," _she whispered. "_Aishiteru_," she said proudly, with all the feeling she had within her.

He looked at her for a long while, his hand coming out to rub her arms.

"What does that mean?"

She hugged him hard, nuzzling his chest. "I'll tell you when you tell me."

He let out a sigh, but put his arms around her. "I suppose that will do."

She smiled. "It will," she determinedly decided.

For now, acknowledging her own feelings will do. For now, she could wait a little longer until he shared his feelings with her. As he led her to the couch and they watched old movies together, she knew he would reciprocate.

She could feel it in her heart.

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AN: I changed this around some. XD I love drama, but I feel like it was a point that was missing from the previous version. She would ask what in the world he had said to her at Sarah and Kalos' reception. Sora's a naturally curious person. And it would probably bug the heck out of her that she hasn't been told yet. XD


	6. Chapter 6 - Revised

**AN: 1/2016 Revised chapter.**

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Sora swung their hands as they walked down the street.

Leon let her. Ever since he woke up, he sensed this calmness settle in her. He was surprised especially after last night's outburst. He had been prepared to deal with her emotions switching from frustration to affectionate. Luckily for him, she was in a steady upbeat mood.

"It's our last day," she cheerily said as she looked at the shop window, "whatcha craving to do? Go skating? Watch a play?" The ringing of a bicycle brought a grin on her face. "Ride a bicycle for two?"

"…I cannot even begin to envision all of the problems with that last suggestion."

"Hey, I know how to ride!" She stepped in front of him with a bit of mischief. "Do you?"

"Of course I do," he tilted his chin haughtily. "My speed would simply overpower yours, making the bike tip over."

"Is that right?"

"Very."

"Then let's test that 'theory' out, buster."

Swiftly, she pulled them to the bike shop she had seen half a block ago.

"That was not the correct usage of 'theory.'"

"Uh huh. So what color bike do you want to rent?"

He gave her a flat look. "We are not riding a tandem bike."

"We're not." She smiled widely at him. "We're getting our own bikes for this race."

"No."

"Come on, Leon. It'll be fun. Unless…"

"Unless what?"

"You're too chicken to race me."

This woman was going to be the death of him, he was certain.

"…Blue."

She shot her hand out in a victory fist pump. "I call green!"

"Not red?"

"No, silly. Green is for go. Red is stop. Why would I do that?"

"My mistake."

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Leon eyed the hill they were on. The people down below looked far too small.

"This is not a good idea."

"It'll be fine. We got our helmets on for safety. Besides," she rang her silver bike bell, "we can warn people if something goes wrong."

He highly doubted they would be able to warn people in time.

"Soo…" he turned away from the street to see her huge grin, "what's your bet?"

He felt a corner of his mouth lift up. They had not made bets in a very long time. Should he make it embarrassing for her but satisfying for him? He liked those bets the most. Or maybe something more…daring. _Yes._ He would like something like that.

"If I win," he slowly drawled out, "you'll have to cook for me for an entire month."

"Cook? Like your dinners?"

"Breakfast, lunch, dinner, midnight snack," he half shrugged, "whenever I require a cook."

"M-Midnight?! You expect me to just _hop _on a bus in the middle of the night?!"

"Of course not. I will simply come over."

"But then _you'll_ be driving in the middle of the night."

He leaned over his bicycle with a lazy smile. "We'll think of something." He straightened up. "This is if I win. Although," his eyes laughed at her, "you are acting as if I have won already."

"As if!" She set her game face on. "If I win, you have to participate in Anna's improv group Friday nights for a month and I get to watch every time."

She was evilly gleeful upon seeing his frozen form.

"O-k! Readysetgo!"

Leon snapped out of it, quickly kicking off to give him an extra boost. There were a couple of seconds of tranquility before gravity took ahold of his bike with a vicious grip. He gritted his teeth as his stomach lurched. He could hear Sora laughing in giddy excitement and disbelief.

He pedaled to catch up to her and passed her by half a bike. He heard her exclaim in surprise and then pedal even harder. In the corner of his eye, he saw her neck and neck with him. The end of the hill was fast approaching. He pedaled some more, causing her to do so as well.

They were going so fast the wind was drying out his eyes.

Then, he heard her give a warrior cry and she zoomed by him at supersonic speeds.

"Sora!"

"Not now I'm winninnn-ahhhhh!" She swerved to avoid the pothole, but turned too much, making her hit the sidewalk.

She shrieked as she flipped involuntarily over the handles of the bike and land with a great thud on the grassy patch near the sidewalk.

She lay on her back for a long while, feeling like all the air in her body had been forced out of her. Then she sharply inhaled precious air. "Ah…" she wanted to roll onto her side, but she felt too much to move. The handlebars had pushed on her stomach pretty hard before she completely flipped over. "Oww…" she pitifully whined.

She heard the clattering of a bike and then saw Leon kneel next to her.

"Does anything feel broken?"

"My pride," she hissed out through her teeth.

Leon shook his head, lifting her shirt a little. There was some slight discoloration along her stomach, but it didn't look dark enough to be bruised or broken ribs. "How does your back feel?"

She whimpered a little.

A kid stopped by them on his tricycle. "Your bike flew over you." He put his lollipop back in his mouth. "It was cool."

"Nice," Sora faintly laughed and then immediately regretted it.

Leon quietly chided her for putting herself in further pain.

"My daddy's a nurse. I'll go get him." The kid turned his tricycle. "Don't move!"

"Oh I won't," she groaned, putting a hand over her face.

Leon sighed, taking a seat next to her. They were going to be here a while.

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Leon gingerly helped her sit down on the couch.

Sora grimaced a little as the neck brace sat uncomfortably along her collarbone. She wiggled her head a little in an effort to make it comfy.

"Stop that," he scolded. "Do you want to make it worse?"

"My neck's not really broken," she grumbled. "It's just precautionary." She let out a long sigh. "My friends are gonna have a field day with this."

He came back from the small kitchen area of their hotel. He offered her the cup of water and she took it, sipping through the straw.

"I feel like a doggie. You know, the whole 'Cone of Shame' thing?"

"How accurate," he muttered as he sat down next to her, "given the reason _why_ you are injured."

"You goaded me."

"You took the risk," he turned the t.v. on and began going through the channels. "Tell me where to stop."

"There's always risks when it comes to – wait, go back one – our bets."

He put the volume up a little. "Not life threatening ones."

"…So no more bets?"

"I did not say that."

She half grinned, taking his hand. "You were really good with that kid."

He lightly shrugged, threading their fingers. "He was not annoying."

"He was pretty calm for his age."

They fell into a comfortable silence as they watched t.v.

"After you are better," he murmured, "we will discuss your cooking schedule."

"…What? No one won that race."

"You forfeited, meaning the win goes to me."

"That so does not count!"

"Yes it does."

"No it _doesn't!"_

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AN: Leon lets nothing go. XD


	7. Chapter 7 - Revised

**AN: 2/2016 Revised chapter.**

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Sora walked out of Dr. Kate's office, her neck very straight.

Leon tilted his head. "You're allowed to relax your neck now."

"I-I can't seem to." She grunted a little, her neck bending barely a centimeter.

He shook his head. "It must be stiff from being in the brace."

They walked to his car. Leon watched with no small amount of amusement as she stiffly entered the passenger side.

"I can help."

Her head turned perfectly horizontal. "Really?"

"After some lunch."

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"Mmm," Sora's lashes fluttered as his hands worked her neck muscles. "It really hurt at first but now..."

He pushed his thumbs along the top of her spine and skull, bringing out a mewl. Her head drooped forward as he continued working the area.

"Starting tomorrow, you may cook."

Her eyes shot open. "What?" She made to straighten up, but his firm hands kept her in place. "I thought we agreed to disagree."

He took a moment to squirt some more oil onto his hands and then continued on. "I never agreed to let it go."

"_Mou__! _I get injured and I _still _have to do manual labor for you?"

"Cooking is hardly classified as 'manual labor.' "

She pursed her lips. "I thought -" she paused as he tilted her neck to the left, letting it stretch as he massaged the muscles, "-you like to cook. So -" he turned her neck to the right, "wouldn't I be taking an important, _valuable_, pastime from you? That doesn't sound nice."

He tilted her neck back, letting her face him. "This is a valid point."

She started mentally patting her back when a half grin appeared on his face.

"I will just have to cook with you." His thumbs ran along the sides of her neck, "Teach you what I know."

"I know how to cook," she pouted.

"You never stop training," he murmured.

"That's your life motto, not mine."

"Yes," he agreed, "while yours is to keep going, no matter what." He bent over to nudge noses. "Sounds similar to me."

She crossed her arms. "Fine. But I claim creative freedom for the dishes we make."

"As long as it is not life threatening to ingest."

"You're such a brat," she laughed, "I feel bad for -" she promptly swallowed, _your family, _"your previous trainer."

He noticed the slight hesitation, but chose to not bring it up. "Alen?" He softly scoffed, lightly ruffling her bangs. "He deserved what I gave."

She knew switching to his trainer wasn't the greatest of options, but his family would have been even worse.

"Rosetta trained with him for a short while," she pensively thought out loud, "did you know that?"

"No."

"He taught her about the trapeze. Helped her get her timing right."

Leon hmmed. "He used to be the best of the best." His hands moved under her jaw. "It was said he could tell exactly what you needed within five seconds of a routine."

"Really? Geez, that's amazing..."

He lightly shrugged. "It was years ago, mind you. After Sophie and I left, he became a has-been, drinking his days away."

"...It's not your fault."

"What wasn't?"

"That he wasn't the best anymore."

He looked at her, thinking about his last days with his trainer.

"_Only a demon can raise an angel."_ _Alen's frown became more pronounced as a younger Leon opened the door, his sister close by his side. "Do you think you have what it takes to be a demon, Leon?! A true devil that could only have come from hell itself!? Hah! Don't make me laugh!"_

_"We'll do the maneuver without you," came the teen's reply, his young eyes neutral in the face of doubt, "You are obsolete."_

"...This should be enough for today," he murmured, standing up to go to her restroom. "You can move now."

He washed the oil off his hands. He caught red in the mirror above the sink, not surprised to see that she followed him.

"He came to talk to me," she quietly revealed, "after our first performance."

Leon sharply turned his head towards her. _He came?_ He had been so certain Alen would have refunded the ticket for money.

She smiled, seeing that he was interested in hearing more. "His eyes were swollen like after a long cry, but he seemed so at peace, so I guess it was a good cry." She grabbed one of his hands even though it was wet. "He said...he had never seen anything so glorious and that we complemented each other so well, like..." her cheeks colored a little, "a match made by Fate."

Alen had said so with a knowing grin that, at the time, she had not really understood what it meant, thinking that he had been speaking in terms of stage partners. But looking back now, she could see another layer. Even he, a stranger to her, could read what was there between her and Leon.

_It probably only took him five seconds._

It felt like everyone around them had been aware of their feelings long before either one of them did.

He pulled her hand, bringing her into an embrace. "Thank you."

"N-No problem." She hugged him back. "I would have told ya sooner, but, well, you know..."

"Know what?"

She blushed. "We weren't dating...and then telling you what Alen said would have just made things awkward..."

"How?"

"Oh you know how, buster! Stop trying to make me redder than a firecracker!"

"Firecracker analogies aren't used for blushing."

She lightly rolled her eyes. "So sorry to mix it up, wise one."

"I think," he tilted her head up, "you need to know _how_ it is used and why."

Her fingers clenched his shirt as he kissed her. He broke it off, liking the dreamy look in her eyes.

"I don't get it yet," she playfully murmured, lightly tugging his hair, "You need to do it again."

He complied, putting more pressure on the kiss. With her neck brace, he had to be careful when he kissed her. Now though...he pushed her against the bathroom door frame, feeling her angle her mouth for a deeper kiss. He was pleased to feel her enthusiasm, especially when she put her arms around his neck. Still concerned about her neck, he put his hands at the base of her skull, his thumbs resting along her jawline.

She smiled into the kiss, catching on to his concern.

A creaking sound had her soon frowning, disrupting the mood. They looked at each other for a second and then turned towards the sound.

"Ah, you left your door unlocked, but I probably should have knocked," Rosetta blushed even more, not daring to look at them as she spoke, "The Boss wants to talk to you two."

Then, the teen ran off.

"Thanks!" Sora called out. "I, uh, guess I should start locking the door."

"...That would be wise."

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AN: Poor Rosetta! But it could have been worse... XD


	8. Chapter 8 - Revised

**AN: 2/2016 Revised chapter.**

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"I can't believe it's time again."

May idly watched as Sora chopped some vegetables.

"You mean the tryouts?"

"Yeah..." They were only held once a year for their following productions. "So you, me, Leon, and Ken to judge, with the Boss as a tie breaker if need be." She rinsed some carrots and then put them on the cutting board. "I wonder why he changed it this year."

Last year, it had been only Leon and Kalos.

May tapped her finger on the table. "I think it's because we're ready now." She looked at the blue and pink kitty salt and pepper shakers. "Kalos can trust our judgments. Well, at least as a whole."

Sora frowned. "What do you mean?"

May squeezed the handle of her walnut crusher, letting the shell fall into the bowl. "You and Ken would be nice in your judging." She picked out the good parts of the nut and put it into another bowl. "While Leon and I are practical. So," *_crack!*_ "We are needed to keep from you two hiring everyone. Well," she popped a walnut into her mouth, "At least prevent _you._ Ken is more realistic than you are."

"You make me sound so bad," Sora muttered under her breath, "What's wrong with giving people the opportunity to be here?"

"Besides our budget and not being able to house all of them," came May's flat response, "Plus not having enough space on stage? Nothing."

"I'm just saying. It wouldn't be so bad to hire a lot of talented people."

"Getting the talented ones before another circus swoops them up," May got another nut into position, "I definitely agree with that. But our _budget_, stupid. Money doesn't just _rain_ down from the heavens if you're good. You keep disregarding that fact."

"We've been making a lot of money these last couple of years."

"Which Kalos used to expand the water stage outside, as well as expanding the seating. Circuses take a lot of money to upkeep and improve, you know."

"I know...I just wished it didn't have to."

"We could just not get paid then and have our room and board be our wages."

Sora started to nod her head. "Yeah...! That would save so much -"

"I was joking idiot. We need money for other stuff." May chucked a nut shell at her back. "Ever heard of health and life insurance? Or a 401 K retirement plan? What's going to support you when you're a little old lady with a bunch of cats?"

"I'm not gonna be a cat lady!"

May snickered. "Fine, a dog lady."

"I'm going to have a family," Sora decidedly answered, "with grand kids and great grand kids...the whole deal!"

"Oh?" May propped her head on the table. "And who's going to be the grandpa of all of these kids?" She gave a half smirk. "Leon?"

"May!"

"What? Am I _wrong?"_

"Th-That's none of your business!"

"Since when?"

"Since right now! Besides," Sora rapidly chopped the heck out of the garlic cloves, "it's too soon to even be thinking like that." Her knife slowed down. "...Right?"

May blinked at the quiet question. "Don't look to me for that answer." She closed the container with the un-cracked walnuts. "I will say this, though. It's something you need to think about."

Sora looked at the chopping board. _Leon, as the grandpa...?_ Her face flushed, a small smile appearing without her realizing it. _I think...I'd like that._

May loudly placed the walnuts on the counter next to her. Sora jumped a little at the sudden sound.

"Don't do that!...Wait, I was supposed to smash the cloves." Sora let out a huff. "Drat."

She was definitely going to hear about it from her teacher. Leon was actually teaching her new cooking tricks to better maximize the flavor, along with teasing her of course. She didn't think it would be possible for him to _not _tease her someway.

May leaned against the counter. "You know you can tell me."

"About what?"

A grin made its way on the Chinese acrobat's face. "The real reason for the neck brace."

"I told you, we were racing each other and then I made a fool of myself."

"Uh huh."

"...How else do you think I hurt myself?"

May grin curved devilishly. Sora was beginning to regret asking. Someone knocked on her door.

"Don't bother, I'll get it."

Sora put the apron back on. _That's one way to avoid an awkward conversation._ She turned back to the chopping board.

"Hey Sora."

She turned to smile. "Hey Mia. What's up?"

Mia plopped down on the table next to May, her light yellow skirt poofing out as she sat. "Just checking up on you. Did Kate clear you yet to go back to doing _The Little Mermaid_?"

"About that..." She put the garlic in the pan and then started cutting the chicken. "I was thinking that maybe we should keep Rosetta as lead." The teen had covered for when she and Leon went on that weekend trip and then stayed when she hurt her neck. "She's doing pretty good."

May snorted. "The height difference between Anna and Rosetta is ridiculous."

Mia tutted. "It just makes it cuter! Don't be so mean to your student!"

"I'm just pointing out the obvious!"

"Anyways..." Mia half glared at May and then turned to Sora, "It should work just fine, considering the tryouts coming up. Rosetta was supposed to take the last month, right?"

"Yeah, but with my neck injury, she'll be doing almost two months."

"She'll be fine, worrywarts." May tilted her head up. "She is _my_ pupil."

"Now you defend her? You're a twisted master, you know that?"

"Mia," Sora easily cut through, "Can we have something for when the new hires come in?"

"Oh, like a welcome party? Sure, I don't see why not." Mia's eyes brightened. "It's still warm. We should do it on the beach."

"A beach and grill!" Sora smiled. "That sounds great!"

"It should be in the evening after the last _Little Mermaid _showing." Mia pulled out her phone. "I'll make a note so we can get the flyers ready in time."

"See? Spending money already."

"We'll make it a pot luck, Scrooge."

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AN: May, May...Always thinking devious thoughts.


	9. Chapter 9 - Revised

**AN: 2/2016 Revised Chapter**

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"You didn't have to be so intimidating."

Leon blinked out of his unabashed perusal of her form. Sora was cooking a late night snack in a big shirt and shorts, sans socks on her petite feet. He was pleased to note that she wasn't as shy about him being over so late compared to the first couple of times. If anything, she was more irritated than shy. He'd only given her a five minute warning before showing up at her dorm door.

"We were asked to judge."

"You criticized a guy for his _standing posture_."

It was more for the fact that the young man had been ogling her and of course, she had not noticed. He refilled his cup of herbal tea, not spilling a single drop. There really was no way to make her realize what a man's 'ogling' face looked like. She would probably defend the guy, saying that he was just appreciating the fact that he was on Kaleido Stage grounds and excited to work with them.

Not even Sophie had been this naive...

It was something that he admired Sora for, however, in instances like these it was frustrating.

"It was an observation."

She turned to face him, one red brow up. He grinned into his cup as she mimicked him.

"It was overkill." She stirred the pot and then turned off the burner. "You can't even call it a critique."

He lightly sniffed the air. "Tomato soup?"

"From a can," she quipped as she poured a bowl, "Short notice and all." She plopped the bowl in front of him, sprinkling some shredded cheese on top. Then she unceremoniously sat herself down, putting her elbow on the table to prop her chin. "Eat up."

"You're not eating?"

She grinned, opening her mouth. He spooned some of the soup into her mouth.

"Hot," she mumbled around the soup. She kept her mouth a little open to air out the contents. "Ahhh..."

"How proper," he amusedly observed.

She gulped the soup down. "I'm Lady Fancy Pants." She brought her leg up on the chair, putting her cheek against her knee. "Twenty two new recruits...I'm excited." She smiled. "Are you?"

He gave a small shrug. "I don't deal with the new members."

"Of course not," she playfully said. "You're not paid to mingle with newbies."

He merely ate his soup. She looked at him thoughtfully. She had been teasing, but...

"Why don't you interact with the new recruits?"

He thought over his wording. "It's...noisy."

"Noisy? Like too energetic? Isn't that a good thing?" Enthusiasm meant that they were happy to be there. "I'm pure energy 24/7 and you don't get tired with me."

"You are one person," he reminded. "Imagine yourself, times 22."

"...I kind of see your point." She loved energy. But Leon was more of a mellow kind of guy. "Well, how about helping with a smaller group? Maybe get the fast learners started on some trampoline or trapeze."

"Perhaps."

He wasn't a 'people person' like her. Short interactions with co-workers was what he was comfortable with and then a very small, select few he was close to. If given a choice, he wouldn't talk about himself. Then again, with invasive people like Sora and May around, he really didn't have to. But Sora...She was different. He wanted something new with her. Something unique between just the two of them.

"I think..." he swirled his spoon around in his bowl, "I would not mind if it was with you."

"R-Really?"

He gave a small nod. The slight motion lit up her face.

"It'll be great!"

She proceeded to gush on and on about amazing a team they'd be, how she'd be the main instructor and he could go around and give tips. Somewhere in the middle of this rambling she grabbed his free hand like she had a right to it. She did in his book; he just had not realized how perfect their joined hands looked until now. He looked up at her face, seeing how it glowed and how happy teaching with him made her. It made warmth bloom inside him, filling every corner of his body.

"I love you."

It was almost comical how fast she shut her mouth.

"What?" she whispered.

He had not intended to tell her now. He wanted to wait until their one year anniversary with the right setting and fantastic food and wine. But it came out of him so naturally, like a breath coming out of his body.

"I love you," he quietly repeated.

Her breath caught, her eyes were wide as she took in his calm demeanor. But she felt the fast pulsing in his palm, could feel it warming up as he waited for her reaction. He was nervous. _Silly Leon._ She stood up from her seat, much calmer than she thought she'd be. Her pulse was fast too, but out of pure joy.

"That's good to hear," she took his other hand, placing herself between his legs, "I'm not the only one."

"You...love me?"

She smiled as she placed her forehead against his. "Of course I do."

She felt him sigh, felt his shoulders relax. His eyes closed in relief, letting her acknowledgement reach his soul. She watched his eyelids lift and she marveled in the warmth of those grey eyes she wholeheartedly loved.

"I told you at the hotel," she lightly blushed. "I wanted to tell you," she rubbed her nose against his, "but I was afraid of your response."

"...I told you at Sarah's wedding."

She felt giddy inside. "Don't make this into a contest."

"But I was first," he lightly grinned. Then, though, his face grew serious. "I did not think you would reciprocate."

"You didn't want me to?"

He softly chuckled. "I did," he closed his eyes, "but I don't see why."

"That's 'cause your eyes are closed, silly." He half opened them, seeing the tender look on her face. "You need to keep them open," she softly chided.

She gently kissed him. He slowly kissed back, freeing his hands to cup her face.

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AN: Daww... :3 Happy early Valentine's Day!


	10. Chapter 10 - Revised

AN: **2/2016 Revised Chapter**

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The Welcome Beach and Grill Party was underway by the time Leon and Sora came.

Ken and a couple of the guys were getting the food grilled before the sun set, another group was in the water, others playing frisbee, and the rest lounged around talking. A long table carried all of the pot luck items. Several people were helping themselves to some dip and chips. Idly, Ken watched Sora jog up to the pot luck table, putting down a good sized square container. She looked one with the beach in a pair of swim shorts and a breezy blue top. He could see the peeking of a bright orange halter tie around her neck from presumably her bikini underneath. She was talking with Leon about something; he didn't know what.

He did see her suddenly stretch up to kiss Leon.

He turned his head, lightly blushing. He found that she was even more affectionate in public with the Frenchman, sneaking extra glances at him and smiling, getting in another peck when she already kissed him or just touching him on the shoulder and arm during teaching. Ken used to come in to help, but now that Leon was in the practice room, he did not feel comfortable in there. Only if Sora requested it did he come and even that was not often at all.

He undid the cooler lid with the meats.

He knew that they were together. He had accepted the fact that she did not see him in that light. But a part of him still wondered from time to time: was her behavior towards him solely because he had never told her how he felt? If she knew about his feelings and for how long he's had them, would she see him differently? His eyes darted back to the couple, seeing Sora squeeze Leon's hand; then, he watched incredulously as the stoic male lightly squeezed back. Her smile curved even more.

Would it have been him instead of Leon, partaking in her smiles and kisses if only he told her...?

Ken felt eyes on him. He snapped out of his thoughts, suddenly finding himself staring at Leon. He swallowed a little and then cracked a smile. Sora followed Leon's gaze and then lifted a hand to merrily wave at him. He waved back half heartedly and then turned back to the grill.

"Dude, is this enough lighter fluid?"

"Heck yeah man. This sucker needs to heat up! Hey Ken, you got the matches?"

"Ah yeah, right here." Ken struck a match and then dropped it into the grill. The grill roared with flames far taller than any of them. "Gah!" He quickly threw some sand into the grill and then the flames settled back down.

"Duuuude! We could have roasted!"

"We could have died!" Ken half yelled. "You put too much lighter fluid!"

"Hey man, I tried asking you but you were so out of it."

Ken had the decency to blush. "W-Well, ask louder next time."

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A couple of their students approached them, giving a quick hello.

Sora smiled as Leon inclined his head. He only helped with the intermediate class, but she appreciated the fact that he came. The latest student left and she stepped up to him to rest her hand against his arm.

"Thanks for making lemon tarts with me."

He glanced down at her and then back up at the volleyball net he was putting up. "Considering you almost forgot the sugar, it was a good thing I did."

"_Mou," _she pouted, "I would have tried it first and then remade it!"

A grin appeared on his face, but she could not see it. "Tomorrow is your last day."

The bet had only been for a month. And within that month she felt that they grew closer in a way that their previous dates didn't allow them to. In the comfort of her dorm and his apartment, they shared many things - mostly her, but he added in a thing or two here and there - from childhood stories to hidden fears, to tales of Kaleido Stage and funny things he encountered throughout his travels. She couldn't see him sharing all of this when they were out in a restaurant. She tilted her head a little. _When I first came over to wash his car, he had been open to sharing in his apartment._ And lately, he was getting comfortable enough in her dorm to talk about himself. Those walls were becoming a safe haven for him and she couldn't be happier.

"Leon?"

He turned his head a little to indicate that he was listening.

"Could we continue? We can alternate between your place and mine, cook together," she felt her face heat up a little, "learn more about each other..."

He tied off the last of the netting and then faced her. "I had planned to."

She smiled widely. "Good." She put her arms around his neck. "Because I have yet to see any baby pictures."

"That is the sole reason why you would want to continue?"

"You know it's not the main reason."

Leon leaned his forehead against hers, a tiny smile making its way on his face. Yes, he did know. After all, he wanted to create something new and unique with her. The sharing of personal lives was a very vital part of that. But he had not expected this feeling of unburdening, nor was he aware just how gnawing a loneliness still existed inside of him before they started sharing so much. She leaned up to kiss him, a special extra glimmer in her eyes that made him wonder. _We have shared stories before. _

He kissed back softly. Even kissing felt different.

"Hey lovebirds!" May stood to the side with the volleyball in hand, "I'd like to play a few rounds before dawn!"

Sora pulled away with a light blush. "Sorry," she murmured to him, then turned to May. "You could have been politer! Your parents would be horrified by your rudeness!"

"Like you actually know them," came May's flat response.

"...No, I don't. But still!"

Rosetta came over with Anna. "Are we starting now?"

"Yeah." May grinned. "We had to wait for the smooching court to turn into a volleyball court."

"May!"

"I know dimwit. Come on."

As a couple more people came over to play, Sora pulled her blue shirt off, not realizing the short show she had given Leon. His eyes roamed her tanned skin, the gentle curves of her chest and the pleasing width of her hips.

"Do you mind holding onto my shirt?"

He slowly blinked out of his daze and then silently took her shirt. She smiled and ran off to team up with Rosetta's side. He looked down at her shirt, still feeling the warmth of her body in the material. He fisted the shirt. Were things so different because they actually voiced out being in love? He watched the game with half a mind.

"Out!" Sora grinned.

May bared her teeth. "You are so blind that was in!"

"Oh get real," Rosetta spoke out, "that was like a foot out!"

He crossed his arms. "More like a fourth of a foot out."

Sora gleefully turned back to May. "See? Even the ref agrees!"

"I want a second opinion!"

"Leon was the _third_ opinion!"

"Fine you sissies! I'll give you a handicap!"

"Handicap?" Rosetta frowned as she got closer to the net, "We don't need no stinking handicap!"

"Rosetta?" Sora blinked at the usually calm girl.

Anna laughed. "Seems like May's finally rubbing off on her!"

May crossed her arms. "About fricking time. We don't need anymore wusses."

"May!"

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The sun was down now and the bonfire keeping people warm.

With the fire and the soothing guitars playing around, Sora was feeling so relaxed. Her eyes drooped a little and she couldn't withhold her yawn.

"We can lay back."

She sleepily blinked up at Leon. They were sitting on the same beach blanket, their disposable plates and cups in a pile next to them. _Lay on the blanket together? _Her cheeks flushed a little. It seemed kind of questionable. She yawned again, her head leaning against his shoulder. _But it's not like we're on a bed. _They were outside and they clearly weren't doing any funny business. She felt herself falling backwards, but in a controlled manner. Leon's arm was around her shoulders as he tilted them back, having taken her second yawn as an affirmative.

They lay on the blanket. He felt quite comfortable with her by his side. She put her arm across him, giving him a teddy bear squeeze._ It's kind of like embracing, but laying down._ She could deal with that.

"Did you know," she half yawned before continuing, "that there are organisms in the ocean that glow under the moon?"

"What kind of organisms?"

She half shrugged. "Super tiny ones, I guess."

"What phase of the moon?"

"Leon, you know I don't remember."

He grinned down at her. He couldn't help teasing her. "That is fascinating."

"Mm." She nuzzled his shoulder. "Why are you so warm?"

"Because I am alive."

She softly giggled. "That's good to know." Her fingers curled around some of his hair. "I like that you're warm."

"...It is strange."

His personality would be described as frigid, ice, glacier, - anything that was the complete opposite of warmth. Yet his body was warm. It was almost unnatural for him to be so. He watched as her lids gave up fighting and closed completely. She was warmth inside and out. He softly sighed, bringing her closer to his side.

Voicing out that they were in love made all the difference.

It was an acknowledgement of how much they meant to each other, how deep inside she was and he in her. _I...want more._ He _needed_ more, truth to be told. However, unlike his other relations in the past, it was not a physical want - though he knew he did desire her. He felt like he was awakened to a whole other world of feeling when they were together. It was new to him and he knew he _craved_ it. He stared at the stars, letting her fill his thoughts. It was strange for him to feel like this.

But completely welcomed.

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AN: Leon's getting the lovey feels! XD


	11. Chapter 11 - Revised

**AN: 2/2016 Revised Chapter**

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Sora squirmed a little as she felt his nose along her neck.

"Stop that," she chided.

Leon placed feathery light kiss after kiss along her neck, going so far as pulling her out of her seat next to him and onto his lap. She flushed lightly, but did not move off of him. If they had been at a restaurant, she would have shot off of his lap faster than a corn kernel on a hot pan. Her lashes fluttered as he kissed upwards until his nose bumped into her earring. He gave her ear a little nip before she turned her head more towards him. He did not hesitate; he merged their lips. Her hands lay along his jawline before sliding into his hair. She liked touching his hair. He'd tease her about the obsession with it, but he didn't want to risk the chance of her stopping as punishment. His hand not around her waist went down her leg, his palm resting on her knee and then slowly slid down the rest of her leg.

"Mm..." came her soft whimper.

He brushed her leg one more time before angling her head a little. His mouth slanted over hers, quietly letting out a long breath through his nose as she responded beautifully, her mouth following his lead in a dance of sensuality.

Ever since she let it slip that she liked him touching her, he grew bolder, his hands wandering over her legs more and just a little further down her back. She softly mewled as his hand slid down the back of her neck and down her shoulder, making her thin dress strap fall down. She blushed a little with that, especially as his hand ran over her shoulder in slow circles. She shivered as the texture of his rough hand and his natural warmth made goosebumps appear.

"Leon..." she murmured as she pulled slightly away from his lips. His hand started down her back, her eyes widening as he neared her rear. _"Leon."_

His hand stopped.

With slightly glazed eyes, he looked at her, making her stomach do back flips. There was that look again. She hadn't seen it since the _Hades and Persephone_ show some months ago. She bit her lower lip a little nervously. He saw the action and slowly blinked. The haze in his eyes was mostly cleared. Without a word, he fixed the strap back on her shoulder. He loosened his hold around her waist, making her blink at the action.

"You may move off."

"...Ok."

She slipped off of him and stood up, her red and white striped skirt shifting back into place. He was slightly disappointed, but understood why she would accept his suggestion. She looked at his sullen face - it was really barely noticeable, but she had been around him long enough to recognize it - and she smiled to herself. _He's probably inwardly beating himself up._ Things just got a little too heated.

He frowned slightly as she took his hand, lightly tugging on it.

"Follow me."

He did, standing up without hesitation and quirking a brow as she grabbed his throw blanket and the large gift bag she brought. When she opened the sliding door to his balcony, comprehension came. She waited for him to sit down first on the wide wicker chair and then she plopped herself on his lap.

"Let me just get this around here..."

He helped her get the blanket around their shoulders. She grabbed the front corners of the blanket together and loosely tied it. She smiled as they were now cocooned together.

"Why are we out here?"

"Well, I thought it would give you an opportunity to use this."

He took the gift bag offered to him, read the little tag with his name on it and the ridiculous amounts of XOXO's and then tossed aside the tissue paper. He looked at the image on the box, the telescope in its tripod unmistakable even in the night.

"Now you can stargaze better."

He looked from her to the scope and then back to her.

"This is...I..."

His speechless state made her smile widen. "Happy anniversary Leon."

He kissed her long and then broke it off. "I only gave you pictures."

The beautifully framed images of them hugging at the end of _Swan Lake, _them holding hands for _Hades and Persephone_, and then the crooked selfie shot she had Leon take on his phone when they were at the beach were hardly comparable to what she had given him.

"You gave me lasting memories." She leaned her forehead against his, closing her eyes. "They're not just photos."

He knew what she meant, what the worth of photos could be when mental images could slowly fade away. He held her tighter, kissing her cheek. This understanding, this...love...was what he craved for so long.

"Happy anniversary."

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AN: Their one year together as a couple... :D How cute!


	12. Chapter 12 - Revised

**AN: 3/2016 Revised Chapter**

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"I need help."

May continued to watch the t.v. as Sora put her hands together in a pleading manner.

"About time you admitted that you do," May wiry replied, "but I think it's too late."

The pleading hands and puppy dog eyes completely disappeared from Sora's countenance. "Not that kind of help!" Sora groused. "Whatever it is you think I _need_."

"Mostly mental," May breezily said before turning away from the t.v. "But that will be for another day. What's screwed up your dream world this time?"

Sora pursed her lips, but deemed it wise to not response to that. She had bigger issues than May's perception of her being in la la land 24/7.

"It's October next week."

_"Really?"_

Some days, she wondered why they were friends. "Leon's birthday's in October."

May stared at Sora for a couple of seconds and then turned off the t.v. "He told you when his birthday is?" she asked with some awe in her voice.

Sora sighed. "No." That would have been an incredible reveal. "Sarah vaguely remembered seeing his personal info on Kalos' computer but she can't recall the day."

"Have her sneak into Kalos' computer."

"We tried that already, but his personal info is locked with a password Sarah doesn't know."

May sat back on the couch. "Kalos is good." Pause. "Leon's passport would have his birth date. Better yet, his actual birth certificate."

"I'm not going to rummage through his apartment for those things."

"Why not? It's for a good cause."

"That's personal stuff!" Sora defended. "Wherever those papers are he probably has other personal items there too."

In truth, she had been about to go through his things when he was in the restroom, but then she couldn't help thinking about what he would do if he saw her looking through his personal items without permission. Would he withdraw from her, having broken his trust? Or would he just shake his head at her ridiculousness? She wasn't willing to risk all of their progress on the chance that she could talk her way out of any trouble she brewed.

May crossed her arms, taking a moment to think. Then she smacked her forehead.

"We're so stupid. His id card has the date on it."

"Oh yeah." That was something he's had to show even strangers, aka not extremely personal. "Yeah! That would totally work!...Wait. How am I going to get his wallet out of his pants' pocket?"

May rolled her eyes. "Do I have to tell you _everything?_"

SL

Friday night's date was at the local theatre.

Ever since he brought her here, they've made it a point to come every time there was a new production. It was a decent size, holding some rooms for plays, others for performing arts like dances and ballet, and then the occasional touring acrobatics.

Tonight it was a musical, _The Phantom of the Opera._

Sora could feel the organ music vibrate her innards. She watched as the Phantom appeared on stage from the mist beyond the mirror, singing for Christine. The girl seemed to be in a trance as she walked towards him, taking his outstretched hand. Leon felt her lean over to him and he tilted his head down to hear her speak.

"He's going to kill her."

Amusedly, he looked down at her. "What makes you say that?"

She gave him an incredulous look. "He's been killing people left and right and now he's come for her after seeing that guy in her dressing room."

"A crime of passion," he murmured, but then half grinned at her, "though I do not think murder will be the sin."

She frowned in confusion. "What? Why not?"

"Look at his hands."

She looked to the stage as the duo sang together. The Phantom's hands made for Christine's neck. She tensed, seeing his gloved fingers so dark against her pale skin. Then though, her jaw dropped open a little. His hands went down her neck, down her collarbone and over her chest. Sora's face warmed as Christine's eyes half closed and her lips parted.

"O-oh."

Leon chuckled softly. "Do you need water?"

"Shush. We're watching a play."

"I thought we were discussing the Phantom's motives."

Her cheeks reddened. "I'm good."

"He wishes to have her," he murmured on, his fingers stroking the back of her hand on the armrest, "to keep her for himself."

She felt the heat of her cheeks shoot down her neck. "I got it!"

A couple of people shushed her. She ducked her head in embarrassment then shot Leon a sharp look.

"You got me in trouble," she whispered with a pout.

"You don't need me to help you with that," he half smirked.

"_Mou!_"

"Will you be _quiet!"_

She pursed her lips tightly to prevent any other comments from escaping. She didn't feel like getting shushed a third time tonight. Seeing her sullen face, Leon put the armrest up between them and pulled her to his side.

"I will behave," he offered in good humor.

After a moment, he felt her ease up as she leaned against him.

* * *

They walked through the lighted theatre garden out back after the performance.

A couple of other people were milling around, but not as far out as they were, which made Sora feel more comfortable with her plan. She shivered a little even though she wasn't quite that cold, even going so far as to rub her arms in an attempt to warm them.

"It's chillier than I thought it would be."

"You shouldn't wear such a thin sweater in Autumn."

"It matched my dress so well," she sheepishly replied.

He shook his head, opening his coat and drawing her in. She blinked at the sudden embrace. _He hasn't done this before._ It brought a smile to her face. She turned herself around to snuggle in the warmth of him and his coat. She loved seeing him grow like this.

"Maybe this is why I wore a light sweater."

He looked down at her, seeing her so close to him. "Touche," he faintly smiled. "However, you do not need to scheme to get close to me."

She looked up at him, feeling a little guilty. "So," she cleared her throat. "That was a good musical. Dark, but good. Why haven't we tried performing this story?"

He leaned down to her ear. "Does the idea of a dark stranger coming for you sound enticing?"

She felt her face flush. "N-No. Just that you'd probably make a good Phantom."

"Most likely." He kissed her jaw. "And you are a delightful Christine."

"Would be."

He kissed her neck with a chuckle. "I made no mistake."

She let out a slow breath as he continued to pepper her neck. Then, though, her eyes widened astronomically as his hand grazed her backside.

"Leon!"

He kissed behind her ear. "Now you know how it feels."

_"What?"_

He lifted his head to look at her directly. "You felt me up earlier."

"I did not," she gasped in embarrassment.

"Not purposefully," he amended, "Though in order to get my wallet, you did."

She gulped. _I thought he didn't noticed. _When he had pulled her to his side during the performance, she put her arm around him and snagged his wallet, quickly slipping it into her purse. But it hadn't been in a side pocket to her dismay.

"...I can explain."

He amusedly tilted his head. "I look forward to hearing it, for I do not think it was to rob me."

"I can tell you...but it would ruin something for you."

"Ruin?" This was just getting stranger and stranger. "My credit score?"

From the beginning, he knew she was not feeling him up, though he had entertained the idea for a couple of seconds before dismissing it all together. For the life of him, he could not figure why she would need his wallet for.

"No! It's just -" she bit her bottom lip. The jig was up. It would be worse not to tell him. "I wanted to know your birthday."

He was quiet for a moment. "...You wanted to throw a party for me." He sighed softly. "Sora, I do not think -"

"You don't want one," she finished for him, "I figured. But it wouldn't be crazy and loud or too long, I promise." Her arms squeezed around him. "It'll be just a little appreciation for you coming into our lives."

His eyes were hooded. "I do not think others share that sentiment."

"Maybe the others can't say that they love you being in their lives like I can," she reluctantly agreed, "but I'm sure they do like that you're here and decided to stay. Despite the rocky beginning, you did help save the future of the stage."

"Yuri could have helped you with the Angel's Maneuver," he murmured.

"_No,_" she emphatically replied, "it had to have been you."

"..."

"I needed it to be you," she said in a gentler manner, "After all that I found out about Yuri and your sister...I couldn't have performed like that without you."

He could see that she meant it, could see the truth of it in the way she looked at him with affection and unyielding determination. "And I," he put his forehead against hers, letting the light flowery smell of her perfume drift into his mind, "needed you. I still do, truthfully."

She softly smiled. "So do I."

He put a hand to her cheek, admiring how soft her skin was. "I have spent years looking for my partner. I will not leave this stage for any light reasons."

His words made her a little nervous. "What reason would make you leave?"

"...If you found a better partner."

"Leon - "

He let his hand drop from her face. "If someone more suitable comes, I would not blame you."

Her jaw dropped in shock. "Do you think so little of me?"

"Never."

"Yes you do or else you wouldn't suggest that I would up and _leave_ my partner - my significant other - for so shallow a reason!"

"It is not shallow to move on."

"It _is _shallow to abandon the people you love!" She brought her hands up to the front of his shirt, tightly fisting the material. "Why are you even talking like this? I won't _leave _you. Not now, not _ever!"_

"Even beyond the stage?"

She stared at him long. "Beyond? Like..._beyond?_"

He was slightly amused to see that she was just about as articulate as he was. He had thought about this long and hard, even losing some sleep. It was a risk to ask, especially since he had never considered the fact that he would be in this position. But it was happening now and without much planning on his part.

Hell, he didn't even have the ring yet.

He never did anything this big without planning it out. Though, even when he told her he loved her, that had happened without prompting or special planning like he had wanted to. How could other people manage to stay in control long enough to plan this sort of thing? He used to be proud of his self control. But he knew it was getting harder and harder every time he saw her, talked to her, touched her, kissed her until her lips were thoroughly marked by his and her eyes clouded in an unending blissful dream.

"I know," he slowly murmured, trying to get the words swarming around in his head to still long enough to form actual sentences, "that we didn't have the best of beginnings. I know...one year and nearly two months of exclusive dating is most likely not that long. However," he touched her hand and she could have sworn that it shook a little, "would you consider being with me in marriage?"

Her breath caught. It was harder than she thought to get it unstuck.

"You...want me as a wife?"

"If you would accept me as a husband," was his solemn response, "though I know I have much to improve but I -"

She kissed him repeatedly. "I'll accept," she murmured between kisses. "Only if I can throw you a birthday party."

It was a fair price to pay to have her as his own.

"No clowns," he warned, "or coned hats."

"Deal!" she merrily laughed.

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AN: Cheesy goodness! Sometimes we need it! XD


	13. Chapter 13 - Revised

AN: **4/2016 Revised chapter**

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Halloween came much sooner than he had anticipated.

Leon looked over at the guests dressed up, anxiously waiting for the Kaleido Stage's Halloween Trick or Treat night to open up. It was going to be a long night, that he was sure. Idly, he rested his hand on the fake pirate sword around his waist. Sora - his ever loving special one - volunteered them for the first hour of the meet and greet. The second hour would be Leon and May - seeing as the duo had won the Circus Festival a couple of years back - then May and Rosetta. Sora only had the first hour and then the last hour near the end of the night, seeing as she was helping out with the maze and trick or treating.

Leon eyed the boarded maze off to the side. Their stage crew was one team that continued to impress him. The way the boards were painted made it look like dangerous thorn bushes. From what he gathered, there was treasure to be found along the way if you could defeat the 'monsters' in the maze. It was geared towards the older kids, but he was certain they were given instructions to spectacularly lose should a younger child come inside.

"Eye patch or gold tooth?"

He turned back to Sora. He was slightly disappointed she had opted out in wearing the skirt version of the pirate clothing, but her exposed mid-drift and red corset with black laces made up for it, complete with an off the shoulder puffy sleeved shirt underneath. She had little boots and a dagger strapped to her thigh, a fake sword around her waist as well.

He looked at the items in her hands then quirked a brow. "What in heaven's name made you think I'd wear either one?"

She pouted. "Come on, spoilsport! You wore fake fangs for the _Dracula_ show."

"That was not demeaning."

"If you don't choose, I'm going to go get the peg leg instead from the prop team."

"...The eye patch."

She smugly handed it to him. "Was that so hard?"

He gave her a flat look, but said nothing as he put it around his head. She was working on putting the gold capsule on when she saw that it was merely sitting along his head, patch up.

"You gotta put the patch down."

"I will once the crowd comes through."

"Promise?"

He looked at her, the gold tooth ridiculously shining through her mouth under the overhead lights. He had been seconds away from either a peg leg or a gold miner's tooth. "The patch will come down." It was the least he could do to not tempt her to get something worse. "Despite the fact that you are quite eager to make me half blind."

She laughed at that. "It's for a good cause." She picked off a lint ball from his white puffy pirate shirt, looking down at his black pants and boots. She loosely braided his hair back, some strands coming along his temples. "You actually pull off the look pretty good."

"You doubted I could?"

She playfully flicked the patch over his eye. "Your adoring fans are coming soon."

He watched with one eye as she pulled out a fake blue parrot, pinning it along her shoulder. He shook his head. At least his birthday was not closer to Halloween. If it had been, he had a feeling she would have made it costume themed. He put a hand in his pocket, his thumb running along the cool metal of the ring.

"Ken's going to release the rope."

He grabbed her left hand, the action making her look at him. When she felt something being slid over her ring finger, her heart skipped. She looked down at the diamond ring sitting comfortably on her finger.

"Leon..." she breathed.

"One more for the pirate," he murmured, looking at the rings on her other fingers.

"Except this one's real," she half laughed before tip toeing up to kiss him. "Thank you."

"Thank _you_," he quietly replied, "for saying yes."

She nuzzled his nose. "How could I say 'no'?"

He tilted his head at that. Could she have said no, given her nature?

The kids were running over now, giving him no chance to ask.

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The Haunted Maze was doing better than Ken thought it would do.

"Argh, I'm hit," Sora groaned out as she slowly crumbled down and died, fake sword under her armpit.

"Yay!" The little fairy girl cheered and then ran off.

"...Is she gone?"

"Yep."

Sora quickly got back up. "Whew! Who knew fake dying could be so exhausting?"

Ken moved from his spot along the wall, his 'stone statue' costume bending stiffly as he stood closer to Sora. "At least you die when you're supposed to. May takes forever to fall down."

"Haha. Yeah...It's not in her to fall so easily."

Ken cleared his throat. "Uh Sora?"

"Yeah?"

Goodness, this was harder than he thought it would be. "W-Would you say- that is- do you _think-" _he paused to gather his thoughts. "How's Leon?"

"Um. Good, I guess..."

That was not even remotely close to what he was supposed to say. "How close would you say you two are?"

"Huh?"

"Ah, as in..." Lord, this was coming out _horrific_, "your relationship status? Do you think you guys will um, last."

She blinked at that and then tittered. "I'm pretty sure we will."

He was thrown off by her absolute confidence. "But how can you be so sure?" How could there not be a single ounce of doubt? What relationship didn't have that?

"Oh, I know." Sora brought her hand up to push her bangs aside. "I've got a pretty good feeling."

He opened his mouth to argue, but a glint along her hand had him silent. _Is that...a diamond ring?_ He felt his mouth dry up. However, upon seeing the other rings, he calmed down. It must be a prop. There was no way Leon would have proposed. It was much too soon for someone as withdrawn as him.

"Sora, I have something I need to -"

"Pirate!" a little boy yelled out.

Sora quickly turned back. "What's this? A tresspasser?!" she tossed him her spare sword. "En guard, Iron Man!"

"Ahhh!" was the boy's battle cry.

Ken had to quickly scoot out of the way or else risk getting hit with the kid's sword.

SL

The last hour of the meet and greet passed by.

Sora sat down with Leon on a bench as the hired band played 'spook-tacular' music. She watched May chase down a kid who had her tiara. Her rendition of the Snow Queen went well with her pale skin and blue eyes. If Sora remembered correctly, May was known as a ice fairy or something when it came to skating.

"Would you have said no?"

She turned to Leon. "No to what?"

He looked down at her ring. "To being engaged."

"What the heck are you talking about?"

He sighed to himself. "Never mind."

"No, let's talk about this. It's obviously bothering you."

"...When I asked you to marry me," he slowly said, "did you say yes because you truly want to be or..."

"Or what?"

"...Did you not know how to turn it down?"

She stared at him long. He felt a little unnerved by it.

Then she stood up. He frowned as she walked away, his head tilting when she reached the raised stage the band was playing on. She was talking to the guitar player who then grinned and nodded to something. The music slowly faded out. Sora was now on stage with the mic in her hand.

"Hi everyone! Happy Halloween!"

Some of the guests replied back.

"I have something to announce." Her face flushed a little, but it wasn't enough to deter her. "I'm engaged to Leon Oswald, the brooding one eyed pirate over there on the bench. I love him so much that he _still_ doesn't quite understand that after over a year of dating." She cleared her throat. "...That's pretty much it. Enjoy the rest of your night!"

She handed the mic back over, lightly jogging back to him.

He was standing now, waiting for her to come back. "That was very public." She had not recognized their relationship in such a way before, even saying that she loved him.

"Yeah," her cheeks heated even more.

He kissed her once, twice, then quickly grabbed her around the waist to pull her up to him, lifting her completely off her feet.

"You're engaged?!" Mia squealed from the other side of the sitting area, wearing the costume of a Shakespearean poet.

"Under two years," Marion, dressed in a Supergirl costume, gleefully said next to Mia. "Pay up."

Ken stayed quiet behind them. May and Sarah noticed his silence.

"Aww yeah! You know what that means?" Anna crowed as she fist pumped the air, her ridiculously large Mickey Mouse gloves visible from all parts of the property. "Party! And with parties come clowns!"

Rosetta crossed her arms, her vampire gloves hidden under her arms. "Weddings aren't usually clown themed."

"But bridal showers can be!"

Rosetta sighed. Hardly anything she said was going to change her mind.

SL

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AN: So one thing that I've been making an effort to do in the re-write is include the gang in more. They're a part of Sora and Leon's lives and it just doesn't seem right to leave them out as much as I did. But this story is still more focused on Leon and Sora. XD


	14. Chapter 14 - Revised

**4/2016 Revised Chapter**

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Christmas wasn't a Japanese tradition, but it was certainly one of Sora's favorite holidays.

She admired the huge tree in the lobby of the Kaleido Stage, the colorful lights making it an impossible beacon to ignore. The lights, the trees, the gift giving, and songs...She breathed in the smell of gingerbread, the cookies off to the side for guests to decorate and consume. It made her feel like a kid again. Not that she ever really lost her inner child.

"Ms. Sora?"

She turned around, seeing a couple with their little girl. "Hi! Did you want an autograph?"

"Oh no, not this time," the mom smiled. "My Susan has something for you."

The little girl looked up at Sora shyly. With a gentle prod from her mother, the girl quickly handed her the folded paper and then stepped back towards her parents. Sora curiously unfolded it. It was a crayon drawing of their Nutcracker show. She smiled widely.

"This is amazing! Thank you!"

Susan bashfully smiled back.

"She has one for Mr. Leon as well."

"Ah, well you can find him wherever there is a crowd of teenage girls." Sora winked. "Just go up to him. He'll be glad to see you."

The parents laughed and then said their byes. Susan gave her a wave. Then, Sora walked around the tree, looking for the hormonal fan group of Leon's. She stifled a laugh. It was actually mostly women in their 40's today. But he was being a good sport about it, signing and answering a question or two. Honestly though, he wouldn't have such big groups if he did signatures more regularly like her. Because he didn't come out frequently after shows, they really mobbed up on him when he did come.

"It's pretty big today."

Sora looked at May and then back to Leon. "I've warned him before."

"He doesn't care for crowds," May murmured.

"Yeah, but he's a performer. It goes with our line of work."

May slowly nodded.

"I wonder why he's kept with it." He started because of Sophie, then continued to fulfill her dream. That dream was now answered. He really didn't have to be a performer anymore if he was tired of all the crowds. "I'm sure he's saved enough to live comfortably."

May looked at her incredulously. "You honestly think he's going to quit with your engagement in the works?"

Sora blushed a little. "I mean _before _that! Like right after Swan Lake he could have stopped." She knew he enjoyed performing on stage, even if he wasn't so vocal about it like she was. But he was very talented. He could have found something less 'social' and still be happy. "I'm sure the Boss could have found something else for him."

"It wouldn't be the same."

"Huh?"

May gave her a flat look. Engaged and still _clueless. _"If he would have taken up a more office-like position and not a performing one, he wouldn't have the same relationship with you that he does now."

Sora's face reddened as her insides did a backflip. It was just May's opinion, but it made her heart warm. May saw the secret smile and shook her head. It was something anyone could see, even on Leon's face. He was smitten to the highest level. May doubted there was anything that would change the way he felt about her.

She was a little jealous - not that May would ever admit that out loud.

Silently, they watched the little girl approach Leon. She looked so small next to Leon's tall form. He crouched down to her level to try to look less intimidating. A thought appeared in May's mind, not having considered it before - but there hardly was a reason for her to have thought of it before, giving the nature of the thought.

"Does he want kids?"

Sora snapped out of her heart melting feelings as the two interacted. "What?"

"Do you know if Leon wants kids?"

"I...haven't asked..."

"..."

"...It's not exactly a 'first date' question!"

"Oh my _freakin..._" May put her hands on her hips, "It's an engagement question!" She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Are you going to a marital counselor?"

"No. We're not even married yet May!"

May smacked her forehead. "There's pre-marital counselling you nimrod! It's to help you two dimwits figure out the strengths and weaknesses of your relationship." She pursed her lips. "Have you discussed where you're going to live? Joint bank accounts or separate? Are you both staying full time even if a bundle of joy comes along?"

"I hadn't thought about that..."

May relaxed her pose. "At the very least, think about what you guys are looking for in a marriage and then discuss it with each other so there's no misunderstandings." She looked to the side, looking at the tree's ornaments. "I had a couple of cousins that didn't talk about any of this and they're either unhappily married or not even together anymore."

Sora nodded idly. _What I want in a marriage..._

It was definitely something to think about.

SL

Sora was on the couch, typing away. Leon was loading the dishes into the washer.

There were several marriage counselors around Cape Mary. She clicked on one and then scrolled down. There was a section of sampler questions for the pre-marital counseling. She double clicked it, eager to get ideas. She read the little intro first and then skipped it entirely, getting the gist of it. She wanted the questions.

_1) Kids: Are you going to have them? Is adoption an option?_

She scrolled down. She already wrote that one down. Two to four were similar things May already asked her about. She idly wondered if May had looked this stuff up before. _Maybe she tried being a counselor for a family member?_Considering how she had helped her see that Leon was hitting on her, it didn't seem too far fetched.

_5) Sex: How comfortable are you with each other? How often do you plan-_

"What are you doing?"

Sora eeped, nearly slamming his laptop shut. "Nothing!"

"You are blushing at nothing?"

She stammered, not really finding anything she could say instead of what she was actually looking at. He leaned over the back of the couch, taking in her flaming face. Then, he calmly walked around the couch, sat down, and took his laptop out of her hands. She stopped talking as she let him. It was better than having him think she was doing something suspicious. In the end, they were going to have to talk about this pre-marriage stuff anyways. She just didn't think she'd be able to talk about number five anytime soon...

He perused it, quirking a brow. "What is this?"

"Ah..." she cleared her throat, "questions to ask um, your fiance..."

He scrolled down more, pausing on one.

_8) For holidays, who's family are you visiting? Are there any situations that make one or the other uncomfortable?_

"There are some valid questions..." he murmured, not having thought about some of them before.

"Leon, do you mind if we ask each other stuff to, ah, better understand how to merge our lives?"

He looked amused. "How long have you been looking into this?"

"I just barely started, thank you very much."

"Alright." He closed the laptop and put it on the coffee table. "What are your questions?"

"Wait, right now?"

"Unless you require more time to think."

"Well, I guess we can at least start tonight..." She grabbed her notebook next to her, skimmed the questions and then looked back at him. "I think you know this one already, but, I still need to say it." She took a breath in. "I want kids - maybe not like a whole _army_ of them, more like three or five at most..." She rubbed her ring nervously. "It's really important to me that you want 'em too. I love you. I really do, but," she looked at his shoulder, not quite able to bring herself to look at his face, "I need a family, so I don't think that we can get married if...you don't feel the same."

He was silent for a moment. Then he took her hand, making her look up.

"Continue."

She felt her shoulders relax. That was the deal breaker question.

"Ok, ah, I want our bank accounts joined so we're a team all the way."

He lightly shook his head at her wording. He had planned to give her access to his account if she was not up to a joined account.

"Proceed."

"Alright, we're on a roll," she grinned. "When I'm, um, carrying a bun in the oven, I still want to help out around the stage."

"Mm." They were two for three. "I would prefer that you rest at home."

"I'm not going to do anything _crazy_. Just like teaching or something."

"With our helpless child at the mercy of your clumsiness."

"Hey! I'm not a complete klutz!"

"..."

"Most of the time. Come on. I'll go nuts in the house all day."

"...Until you are in your last trimester," he reluctantly suggested, which wasn't much of a suggestion as an ultimatum.

"I could live with that. My feet would probably be all swollen to walk by then." Pause. "Speaking of home..."

"We could start in my apartment."

She looked around the place, slowly nodding. There was enough room for two. But once they had a baby she was sure they were going to have to move. "I like your place. Needs more decor," she teased, leaning up against him, "but it's home."

_Home._ He liked the sound of that.

"...I want us to share a room."

She stiffened, her face blooming a dark pink. Question Five was starting to come into the conversation. She wanted kids. They couldn't very well have kids if there wasn't that sort of intimacy. She did get some sex ed in school, so she wasn't an idiot. But it was one thing to read about and another to _do_...

"Ok."

She winced when the answer came out high chipped. She felt his hand along her knee. He liked touching her and she liked the feeling. She tucked a hair behind her ear. At the very least, she didn't think they'd have problems with chemistry. More like when it actually happens. She felt her face flush hotly. This wasn't something she wanted to think about at the moment. Honestly, she still had some time before she had to fret over their wedding night. No use in getting worked up so early in the engagement.

"Don't be frightened," he chuckled, leaning down to her ear, "I'll only bite when you want me to."

_"Leon!"_

SL

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AN: He has too much fun with her.


	15. Chapter 15 - Revised

**AN: Revised chapter 5/5/2016**

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Sora's 21st birthday came.

Her friends wanted to take her out and she invited Leon to come. Ken declined on account of being too busy cleaning out the spare room near Kalos' office. The boss had agreed to mentor Ken on the ins and outs of the stage from an office prospective to his pleasant surprise. He did give Sora a gift and sang as the crew gave her a cake, but that was all he had time for.

"Go with your friends," Leon had murmured when he declined the invite, "we'll do something together some other time."

She had thought it was sweet that he'd give her time to hang out with her friends, but with Ken's refusal to come as well, she wondered why the males were declining to come.

_How weird._

Taking two cars with Anna and Sarah being the drivers, the ladies arrived at the place for their reserved room. Sora sat with her friends flanking both sides. Rosetta and Marion weren't able to come since it was a 21 and older place, but she promised them that they'd do something later that they could all partake in.

"Alright," May grinned as she looked over the drinks list, "I'm buying you a shot."

"Food first, May," Mia admonished.

Anna stood up and started fiddling with the karaoke machine. "I'll set this up for later so we can just use it without any difficulties."

Sarah placed a plastic silver tiara on Sora's head. "We can't forget this, now can we!"

Sora smiled. _This will be a great party._

Their server Jenny came and went. They chatted a bit as they waited for their appetizers and drinks. When Jenny did come back, Sora blinked at the small glass and the slice of lemon that sat on the plate. _That's pretty small._ She guessed May wanted to start her off on something simple.

"Why is there a lemon with my drink?"

May paused in taking a sip of her martini. "You down the drink and then take a bite of the lemon." At Sora's skeptical look, May huffed. "It's good, just trust me."

"It's a favorite of our first time drinkers," Jenny added.

After hearing that testimony from Jenny, Sora lifted up the glass. In the corner of her eye, she saw Mia getting her camera up and pointed at her. "Here goes…" With that, she tipped the drink down and then quickly bit the lemon.

Sora's eyes widened in delight. _It tastes like chocolate cake!_

Mia's camera went off with the lemon still in Sora's mouth. Mia giggled as she checked the picture. "You've got a lemon smile!"

"Did you like it?" Jenny inquired.

Sora slipped the lemon out of her mouth. "It's good! How did anyone figure this combo out?"

Laughter sounded around her.

"Alcohol's a mystery," May smirked.

SL

Later in the night, as Sora ordered a Jolly Rancher shot and May got her a fruity daiquiri, she was feeling pretty warm. She shrugged her sweater off and borrowed a hair tie. Anna called out if someone wanted to sing a song. Sora let loose a goofy grin and got up. She quickly sat back down as she wobbled on her feet.

_What's up with my head?!_ It felt fuzzy, for the lack of a better word.

"Aw sit down, ya lightweight," May chortled with a lazy wave of her hand. "We don't need ya breakin' somethin' cause ya can't walk!"

Sarah giggled as she got up to do karaoke.

"Why's my head wuzzy?" Sora blinked and then corrected herself, "Fuzzy." She put a hand against her forehead. "I only had two lil drinks," her other hand lifted two fingers up, "and then this drink." She frowned as she added her fingers. "That's like having two, not three, right?"

Mia snorted into her crantini drink. "Oh you," she made to push Sora's shoulder but missed, "Size doesn't matter if it's a mixed drink!" She took a moment to giggle and then she halted suddenly. "Shots are mixed drinks," she clarified with a sober face.

Mia's serious face disappeared as May laughed.

"Ya say size don't matter?" May slapped the table. "That sooo sounded like somethin' else!"

"May!" Mia said in an affronted tone which lasted only for one second. "You naughty, naughty girl!" She wagged a finger in reprimand but the snorted laugh ruined the effect. "Sora doesn't need to hear that from you!"

Anna had been coming over from the karaoke machine to get her drink when she caught their discussion. She shook her head at them.

"What's so naughty about size?" Sora asked.

Mia and May looked at her; they looked at each other and then started to laugh loudly.

"Hah! Oh my—my side!" Mia cried.

May got her laughter under control. With a devious grin, she leaned over the table towards Sora. "Ya wanna know the joke? Ya probably need to pretty soon or are gonna find out, given the whole weddin' thin' comin,'" she snickered. "It's –"

Anna covered Sora's ears, but the action wasn't needed.

Sarah chose her song and was belting out "Dancing Queen" with some very wild tosses of her hair. "This is for ya highness!" she added randomly in the middle of the song with a dramatic pointing at Sora. "I love ya darlin'!"

_Alcohol's weird, _Sora numbly decided. She absentmindedly nodded her head in agreement with herself. Anna had finally uncovered her ears with the end of May's explanation.

"What are you nodding about?" Anna asked.

Sora's head stopped. Her brows furrowed as she tried to recall.

"I don't remember."

SL

Leon had been reading when his cell phone went off.

Calmly, he put his marker in and looked at the caller id. Seeing it was his fiancée, he picked it up.

"Sora."

_"Hiii-eeee…"_

He quirked a brow. "Are you drunk calling me?"

_"Nooo silly!" _giggle giggle, _"Royals don't get drunk!"_

"Pardon?"

_"I'm Sora-hime now," _she lucidly declared, _"I gots a crown."_

He regretted not having a recording app for this phone call. "Yes, that does clear things up."

_"I'm gonna have a pony and a garden and lots of treats every day!" _she happily slurred over the phone. _"And ya'll come over for tea and –" _she suddenly gasped, _"wait. Can himes marry non-princes?"_

"Not typically." He was slightly amused by her downtrodden tone. "It's usually an issue of blood ties and politics."

_"That's stupid."_

"Hm."

_"Ya know what? I don't care. I'll marry ya, prince or not."_

"That is certainly a relief."

He heard someone else in the background and then some rustling sound.

_"Hey Leon it's Anna. Can you come get Sora?"_

"Is there a problem?"

_"Mmm…not really. I mean, we can shove her in the car, but she's really insistent in waiting for her carriage and um…prince."_

In the background, he heard Sora yell out, "_Ya're a prince to meee!"_

"Was she like this all evening?"

"_For the most part."_

He shook his head. "What's the address?"

SL

Leon helped her get out of the car.

She stumbled into him, making her tiara askew. "Ya pretty great," she murmured with a light pat of her hand on his cheek. "I'll try to make ya a knight or somethin'."

"Uh huh," he idly said not for the first time that night, "wrap your arm around my neck."

She sluggishly did as she was told. "Ya know," she paused momentarily as his arm hooked behind her knees and lifted her up to carry her, "not enough people know that about ya, ya know what I mean?" He closed the passenger door with his foot. She continued to talk as he walked them out of the parking lot. "…four years now or somethin'. People are crazy. Ya cook some good food and they'll be swarmin' ya, just wait and see…" It wasn't until they were in the dorm elevators that she commented on him carrying her. "M' legs are good," she said, "put me down. It's ok."

"I'd rather just take you the rest of the way. We're almost there, highness," came his wiry response.

The elevator dinged and he stepped out, not noticing her pensive stare. He had gotten her key from her handbag earlier so when he stopped in front of it, he put Sora down on her feet and unlocked the door.

She was leaning against the wall when she declared, "I'd give up my crown if it meant being with ya."

His eyes set on her as he paused in helping her inside. He fixed her tiara and then kissed her on the cheek. She giggled girlishly, lightly pushing on his shoulder.

"How forward, kissin' a hime!"

He kissed her cheek again, this time closer to her mouth. She grinned widely then pushed off the wall to lean against him. She kissed the tip of his chin as he walked them into her dorm. She tripped on the floor, but his arms prevented her from falling.

"Ya always catch me."

Now he did. When they first met, he was ok letting her fall. He sighed to himself, pulling her tight against him. He couldn't imagine doing so nowadays. He'd rather break a limb again before risk dropping her.

"I cannot think of _not_ catching you."

He felt her kiss near the hollow in his throat before feeling her warm exhale.

"Stay here tonight."

He stiffened in her arms. He swallowed hard. She couldn't have meant it the way it came out.

"I'm fine going home."

She stepped back a little, beaming a drunken smile. "Let's have a royal sleepover!" She lightly tugged at his arms, taking him further into her dorm. "We'll build pillow forts and cushiony thrones and –"

He relaxed. "Another time, perhaps. It's late."

She owlishly blinked, one eyelid slower than the other. "I'm not-" long yawn, droopier eyes, "Ok. I guess I am sleepy…"

He thought that was the end of that. But to his dismay, she continued to tug him along. He eyed the approaching bedroom door. He'd never been in there before. It seemed wrong for him to do so now, especially while she was clearly intoxicated.

"Sora, I'm not staying."

She frowned as he lightly pulled out of her hold. "Why not?"

"You've had too much to drink."

"What does that have to do with anythin'? Ya just sleeping over."

"It's _not _a good idea."

"…Ya don't like me."

"What?"

Her bottom lip trembled. "That's why ya're leaving."

"I love you, which means I like you."

"Then stay for the royal sleepover."

He looked up at the ceiling. How did he find himself in these nonsensical situations?

"Fine. Where's your sleeping bag?"

She tilted her head. "What for?"

He gave her a flat look. "I'm sleeping on the floor."

"But ya said –"

"I'll still be in the same room."

"That doesn't count! That is not a sleepover!"

He pinched the bridge of his nose. A bit of creativity was clearly in order…

SL

Sora's senses were off when she woke up the next day.

She groaned and tried to roll over, but something was taking up a lot of room on the mattress. Blindly, her hand felt to the side of her and her eyes shot open upon feeling a solid mass next to her.

Her head turned and saw Leon in a sleeping bag.

"What the…"

Calmly, Leon replied without opening his eyes. "You asked for a royal sleepover," he drawled, "but when I tried putting the sleeping bag on the ground, you got upset, saying something along the lines that I'd be sleeping with the floor instead of with you."

Naïve about a lot of things, even Sora knew what her slip of the tongue must have sounded like to Leon last night. She groaned again, but this time in embarrassment.

"Alcohol's really weird!" she bemoaned.

"You have a low tolerance, I would say," he dryly assessed.

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AN: This one is a funny/melodrama chapter that still fits with the story. :P

I kept a lot of parts of the old version but added more of Leon's side of the drunken dealings with Sora. XD


	16. Chapter 16 - Revised

**AN: 5/2016 Revised Chapter**

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After the New Years' show, Kalos gave the team a week off.

Sora heaved her box of clothes up the stairs. Leon's suggestion to keep the apartment door open helped her keep up with her energy. She quickly kicked off her shoes before making her way over to the couch. With a grunt, she placed her load down on another box before she wiped her forehead.

"Whew!"

She put her hands on her hips as she looked around the place. There were empty gaps in the bookshelf where Leon had removed some of his things as well as another shelf with only a couple of movies. Well, she was more than happy to fill those spaces. She heard the door shut. She turned to see Leon carrying a box one handed as he let go of the doorknob.

She looked at the clock along the mantle. "That was it already?"

"You didn't bring that much to begin with."

She tucked some hair behind her ear as he came closer to her. "Well, I won't be fully moving in just yet." Her eyes darted to him and then with a light blush back to the small pile of boxes. "No sense in bringing everything."

He put the box down. It made a strange sound, making his brow quirk.

"What's in here?"

She grinned and started to unfold the box. "I noticed the walls are pretty sparse, so -" he flipped the box open, pulling out a picture frame, "I brought these!"

"...Empty frames," he slowly murmured, "to fill up a place..."

Was there something he missed?

"These will be filled gradually," she smiled, "as we take more photos together." She put the empty frame down to replace it with her phone. She put herself right next to him, one arm around his waist. "Moving in photo!"

A second later, she snapped the shot.

"I blinked."

"We're not taking another one," she chirruped. "Won't feel the same."

She plopped down on the couch and started opening another box. He watched her pull out movie cases and some books, taking in the image of her making herself at home in the apartment. He didn't think he would ever share a living space again, not after he lost his family. He stepped up to the back of the couch and draped himself over her in a loose embrace. She blinked at the sudden hug, but sat back so he could embrace her more properly. She nuzzled the side of his face before he buried it against her neck. His long hair slid over her arms as he shifted. She lightly shivered at the sensation.

"Eventually," he murmured after a moment of quiet, "it would be good for you to stay overnight."

"Leon," her face flushed, "I know I asked you to stay on my birthday, but I don't think I'm ready to-"

"I do not expect you to sleep in my bed," he softly chuckled, especially when she stiffened in his arms "But I do think we need to get used to living together."

She thought of their weekend getaway a couple of months ago when they shared a hotel. She had been so nervous about running into him after she showered or in the morning with her hair a mess and in her sleepwear. But then, when she had to cook for him for a month, she started to not get so flustered about him seeing her in her pjs.

"...Maybe...just a night or two a week. But not yet," she hastily added. "When it's closer to the wedding."

He placed a soft kiss along her neck. "Alright."

"Sooo then..." She turned herself around, making him straightened up to see her. "Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

She put her arms around his neck. "Just be yourself and my family'll love you."

"..."

"What?"

"That is not very good advice."

"Oh come on," she laughed. "It's the _best_ advice."

He gave her a flat look. "So if I'm anti-social and quiet, your family will accept me."

"...Well, when you put it like that..."

Upon seeing his quirked brow, she let go of him. She dug around in a box and pulled out a notepad and pen attached to it.

"Come sit with me."

He came but more out of curiosity.

"Ok, we just need to make a list of your good qualities beforehand so you don't stumble around." She put her pen to the paper. "Ready when you are."

"Is this an interview?"

"Pretty much. Do you want prompts?" Before he could respond, she continued on. "So, Mr. Leon, what are your strengths?"

"In what situation?"

"Hmmm...just in general."

The clock ticked off the seconds.

"...This isn't going to work."

"You just need someone to help you vocalize it. Here, I'll answer for you." She cleared her throat to help her lower her voice's tone. "My strengths...I'm an amazing acrobat. I'm hard working and reliable -"

"Nowadays."

"Shush! - Reliable, and punctual...Maybe 'dependable' would sound better huh?"

He put his elbow along the back of the couch, propping his chin. "I'm quite offended by the accent you gave me."

"Hey, it's not easy doing an accent."

"It would have been better without."

She grabbed a pillow and lightly hit his head with it. At least, she tried to. With his reflexes he easily grabbed it and twisted it out of her hold. He tossed it aside before pouncing on her, making her sound out a little shriek. They playfully wrestled on the couch before his nips along her arm made her pliable, making it easy for him to maneuver himself between her legs. She stared unseeingly at the ceiling as he nibbled on her neck. Two months from now and she would be his wife and he would be her husband.

It seemed so unreal to have gotten so close to him in a couple of years.

She shifted her legs a little, the motion accidentally pushing his shirt up to expose some skin. She bit her bottom lip as she shivered, the touch of his warm skin along the insides of her thighs an unexpected thrill.

"My skills are these," she suddenly heard him murmur along her neck, "I know how to cook. I drive like a sane person," he placed a kiss along her jaw before sliding to her ear. "I make you shiver in a very good way."

Her temperature went sky high, making his hair feel even cooler to touch. "You're going to tell my parents that?"

"No," he chuckled, "that was for you to know."

"You're very forward," she said in a half teasing voice.

He moved his head so that they were face to face. "It doesn't seem to bother you."

In the past, she might have pushed his shoulder and laughed it off, though she would secretly agree in her mind when she was a good distance away from him. But that was before. That was when they were only dating and anything of that nature was dangerous to take into serious consideration.

But now, they were so much more...

"No," she softly admitted, draping her arms over his shoulders, "not so much."

She saw his grey eyes lid before she felt his mouth over hers. In that moment, she felt something heady in her blood. She felt restless and needy, her hands digging deep into his hair, running down the length of it and then run down his back. The kiss intensified as he put more weight on her, liking the warm, solid feeling of being against her.

Someone's cell phone rang out.

"Mm ma," Leon half understood her.

"What?" he murmured as he continued kissing her.

"My mom," she kissed back before pushing his shoulder.

Reluctantly, he got off of her, sitting back on the couch as she pulled her phone from her short's pocket. She took a long breath in and then out to calm herself before answering.

"_Moshi, moshi."_

He watched her smile as she chatted in her mother tongue. Feeling a bit strange to be sitting here with her on the phone, he got up to get something to drink. As he passed her, he let his fingers brush her cheek. She looked back at him tenderly, her hair still messy and her lips flushed from their make out session.

He heard her say his name in the conversation. He looked up from the fridge, seeing her looking at him. There was mischief in her eyes. He could practically see the idea form in her head.

"Sora, don't you dare -"

But she was rapidly talking to her mom again, his name being thrown in a question. He let out a sigh, he was certain of what she had just suggested. He just hoped he was ready for it. He poured himself some juice and then walked back to the couch. As soon as he sat, she held the phone for him.

"Mom wants to talk to you."

"..."

"My parents know English," Sora grinned widely. "Don't look so nervous!"

He gave her a blank look, lightly glaring at her as she took his cup of juice and downed the rest of it.

"Hello Mrs. Naegino."

SL

Sora had not flown first class before.

It was certainly roomy and the stewards were constantly checking up on them, though she had a feeling that they knew who they were. The flight to Japan was a good 16 or so hours. The good thing was that they were more than halfway there, but she was getting tired of just sitting down watching whatever flick was on the screens.

She sighed and leaned on Leon's arm.

"Mom liked talking with you." Leon looked up from the travel magazine. "She said you spoke very eloquently." He felt her rub her cheek against his arm. "She's glad to be getting a son like you."

She felt him stiffen.

"Leon?" A thought came and she frowned at herself. He hadn't been a son in ages... "_Kami_ Leon. I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking."

"No," he murmured, "it is true." By marrying her, he was going to be getting a father-in-law, a mother-in-law and a...He thickly swallowed, idly closing the magazine. "I simply had not - it hasn't completely sunk in, I suppose..."

"Hey." She lightly touched his cheek. "I understand. _They'll_ understand." She gave him a sad smile. "We know that these things take time to adjust to." Pause. "Sorry for making you talk to mom before you were ready. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"It was," he agreed, "Though mischievously done."

She pulled the armrest up and put his arm around her shoulders. "Let's take a nap, yeah? It's a long flight."

"...Thank you."

"For what?"

He put his cheek against the top of her head. "For being you."

"Now who's being too general?"

He faintly grinned before putting his seat back. He felt her shift a little, but kept his eyes closed.

"First flight together!"

He opened his eyes just as she took the photo.

SL

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AN: Sooo I'm moving events forward because, again, I felt like I had more than a couple of chapters that were more like fillers aka nothing really was happening or it wasn't really helping the plot move.


	17. Chapter 17 - Revised

**AN: 5/2016 Revised chapter**

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Leon looked around his fiancée's home country with veiled curiosity.

Sora was in the process of paying the cab, so he took the time to take in his surroundings. A few people passed him by, his tall frame and long silver hair catching their eyes. Some teens were exiting the apartment complex that he had been taking in. He slowly blinked as a few excitedly spoke to one another and then approached him. By the inflection, he could tell he was being asked a question, but for the life of him he didn't know what about.

Luckily, Sora came up to stand beside him. Sora grinned at the look he was giving her. The lost look was nearly enough to make her laugh, but she refrained. After all, she knew what it was like to be in another country and not know a word of the language.

_And yet I'm engaged to a Frenchman._

In all her life before meeting him, she couldn't say that she had considered that occurring. She had realized that, by moving to America she'd encounter other races, but she hadn't really thought about actually getting married outside of her ethnicity or to someone that wasn't American. Not that she was regretting her decision. It was just something she had not thought about in depth.

"They're asking if they can take a picture with you." By the arch of his brow, she got his confusion. "I don't know why. Let me ask."

He watched Sora's facial expressions change as she spoke to the young teens. She looked at his face and her eyes traveled his form. In any other situation, he'd preen at the attention, however, not knowing the context of the conversation made him very curious.

Then, she let out peals of laughter.

Though, instead of explaining, she took his arm and led him to her parents' building. She continued to giggle as she led him up the staircase to her old home.

"Sephiroth," she snickered with a shake of her head.

"Are you going to explain the reference?" he dryly intoned.

"You look like a character from a video game series. I'll have to show you a picture in order for you to really get it."

She rang the doorbell, then quickly fussed with his scarf before the front door opened. There was a flurry of excited words and hugging between the older woman and Sora. He heard his name in the middle of the Japanese and then the attention was on him.

"Welcome, Oswald-san."

He inclined his head, recalling what Sora said about formalities.

The older woman smiled and then stepped aside, allowing the couple inside. "My husband is in the living room. Sora-chan," his fiancée turned back to her mom before she could go to her dad on the couch with Yume.

Her mom said a few words in Japanese and Sora chirruped something back, heading to her old room—now Yume's—in order to put her luggage down. Leon, now fully inside and closing the door behind him, had been looking at the interior when her mom addressed him again.

"Oswald-san, we only have two room, so we thought that you can share a room with my husband." She gave a little bow of her head. "I apologize for the lack of accommodations, but we did not think you would like to sleep in the living room. However, you are allowed that option should you feel more comfortable with that."

"Do not worry, Oswald-san," came a new voice. Leon turned to face the head of the house with a little girl clinging onto a pant leg as he walked. "We are not easily offended. Take whichever you are comfortable with."

Leon considered the options and the duration of their stay.

"The living room is fine," he said with a returned bow.

SL

Dinner was an interesting affair.

Yume sat next to her mother and then Sora on the other side on a cushioned chair so she could reach her food. Leon was across from Sora's father as they ate. The seafood was delicious and Leon had commented so, earning a shy laugh from the mother as she brushed it off good humoredly.

There wasn't much talking done, except for Yume's singsong sentences every now and then.

Even so, Leon felt out of place. He couldn't recall the last time he was a part of a family dinner. From his memories, there was a faint recollection of a meal with his family, but it was largely overshadowed by his time spent with the relatives. They had been reluctant to take Sophie and him in, so there was not the same bonding experience that occurred with Sora and her relatives.

His eyes slid over to Sora and her mother as the older woman smiled. Sora caught her mother looking at her, asked something to which her mother replied with the extension of her hand towards Sora.

He was amused to see her cheeks dust with some red.

Sora brought her left hand over to her mother and the older woman fawned over the engagement ring, a big smile on her face as well as a bit of nostalgia in her eyes.

Leon did not see any more for Sora's father addressed him.

* * *

Atsushi would not consider himself a strict man.

He was still learning how to be a father and he knew that he made some mistakes along the way. Between Midori and himself, they did the best they could and he was proud to call Sora his daughter.

However, when it came to some of the decisions his daughter made he worried about her.

It wasn't that he didn't trust _her_ but more that he didn't trust the _environment_ that she was placing herself in. An excellent example would be Sora's decision to be an acrobat in America. That one had him worrying himself to exhaustion.

He supposed it was the fear of losing her in a foreign land that had him questioning her decision. He had gone to America twice to convince her to come back, the second time with a heavily pregnant Midori. The second trip was, perhaps, rather reckless considering the state his wife had been in. However, he couldn't dissuade her to stay. Sora was her daughter, after all.

She had every right to be just as worried about Sora as he was.

Right now though, he had the feeling that he was more worried about her engagement than Midori, especially with her prompting Sora to tell her about the preparations for the wedding thus far. He guessed that Midori was more comfortable with it because she had longer talks with Sora.

"Sora-chan told us you are from France, is that correct?"

Leon nodded politely. "I am."

Atsushi nodded as well, trying to find the wording for the questions that needed to be addressed. "Do you plan on returning there in the future?"

Sora had turned her head earlier but Atsushi ignored her staring. Though, he did noticed that she had opened her mouth to say something, but Midori had called her attention with a squeeze of her hand and discretely shook her head at Sora, silently telling her to let her father ask what he wanted to.

"Perhaps visiting, but not as a permanent living residence," Leon said before taking a sip of his cup.

"If your engagement holds and the wedding takes place, where will you two live? Would you move to France if Sora-chan wanted to?" Atsushi folded his hands on the table. "I admit to being curious as to your certainty of not returning to France. From what I can tell, you two are internationally famous. Surely it would be better for you to live there where it is easier to travel to multiple countries than in America."

He could see that Leon was mulling over the facets of his question and statement. It was good that the man appeared to not answer too readily when it truly counted. Though, whether the answer would be fruitful was another thing entirely.

"I do not think Sora would want to live in France."

That statement caught Atsushi attention. "Why do you think so?"

Leon leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. Atsushi was on guard with the position, but waited to hear his answer. He caught the faintest impression of a smile on the Frenchman's face; he wondered what Leon thought was humorous.

"She has trouble with the language," Leon smoothly intoned.

That brought a laugh from Midori, an indignant exclamation from Sora and an amused shake of Atsushi's head.

Yume continued to gnaw on a hand roll.

SL

Her parents went to bed, taking Yume with them.

Sora went to the living room where Leon was unfolding the spare futon. She crouched over him and wrapped her arms around him, causing him to pause in his task.

"Hey you charmer."

He looked at her ducky pajamas and softly scoffed. "Hardly."

"You're doing well," she said with a bump of their noses. "Dad's just a bit of a worrier, especially after I decided to move to America. Don't take it personally."

He straightened up from his crouch and sat back on his knees, Sora's form moving along with him. "So you're the one to blame for my trials," he dryly stated.

She nipped his nose. "The questioning isn't over yet; you still have mom."

"I think some compensation is in order, then," he murmured low enough for only her to hear. With a wicked smirk he added, "Another royal sleepover, perhaps? I'll be sure to not sleep with the floor."

Her face grew red. "You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"Never," he promised, stealing a kiss from her.

Her hands cupped his face and he slanted his mouth over hers, deepening the kiss and making her eyes half close. His hands had slipped under her pajama top to feel her skin; she mewled as his warm fingers sent shivers along her body. Her hands soon grasped his, stopping his exploration of her lower back and stomach.

"Don't do that around Dad," she murmured against his lips, "he won't hesitate to kick you out, fiancée or not."

"Then don't tempt me," he said before brushing the tip of his tongue along her bottom lip.

"I didn't start it," she breathed out.

"Your reactions goad me," he rumbled.

Her hands returned around his face as she gave him a long kiss. He exhaled through his nose, nearly pulling her head back when she broke off the kiss. But he didn't feel like pushing the boundaries of her father's hospitality should the man happen to come out for something and see Leon's hands under his daughter's shirt.

"Good night," she said, her thumbs rubbing his jawline.

"Good night."

She smiled and then went back to Yume's room.

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AN: I didn't really edited a lot of this chapter, but I did move it up. It used to be chapter 29 or something.


	18. Chapter 18 - Revised

**AN: 5/2016 Revised Chapter**

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The crisp January air had Leon putting on his scarf along with his coat.

Sora's father did the same and then they left the apartment together, with Atsushi walking slightly ahead of Leon. For the past three mornings, Leon joined the older man in his walk to the train station. While the couple had vacation, Atsushi had work to go to. Most of the walk was silent, though, her father would talk or ask something of Leon and he would respond back.

The initial hesitance from Atsushi seemed to have dwindled considerably.

Leon was glad of it, not wanting to be at odds with her family members especially with the head of the family. He and Sora have been visiting for half a week now. A few days included a short tour of Sora's old school and a few of her old hang outs. One stop had been to Manami's hair salon and upon seeing Leon's hair the young woman had been eager to do something with it.

Sora had intervened with a nervous laugh.

The tours and getting to know the Naegino family were nice, but there were wedding things to be done before Leon returned to the apartment. Technically, they only had to fill out some paperwork and have a few people there as witnesses, but there were some traditions from both of their cultures that they had decided on having. Though from Leon's side, it did not matter to him if they went more with her culture's traditions, however, his bride to be thought it would be nice to have at least a few from his side.

And so, they were going to have a French-Japanese wedding.

He still wasn't so certain how it was going to come out, but as long as she was happy with it he didn't have any problems. Before Sora left with her mother and Yume, she told Leon to ask her father for some advice on blending their customs.

Leon had asked and was now waiting for a response.

"In traditional Japanese weddings," Atsushi started, having been silent as he thought about Leon's request, "many of the things done are based in the Shinto belief or an old tradition of the samurai." With a half-smile the older man added, "But nowadays there are several aspects that are incorporated without needing to be Shinto or Japanese."

Leon took that information in, not quite sure if her father said that with nostalgia or acceptance. He waited for the rest of the answer. He noticed that the older man liked to take his time with his answers so there was no need to rush him.

"The _San-san-kudo,_" Atsushi finally decided on, "the symbolism of that custom would be very meaningful." The man's brown eye looked at Leon momentarily. "I can explain it better when I return."

Leon nodded his thanks.

Atsushi smiled and nodded back. He was getting used to the fact that Leon was not much of a talker. He thought it was humorous that such a silent man was drawn to his daughter and she was drawn to him. _It will be interesting to see how he deals with my daughter_. Sora was very much the social butterfly.

He chuckled softly under his breath.

SL

While Leon was with her father doing some more 'male bonding,' Sora and Yume went out with their mother. Her little sister grabbed both of their hands as they walked towards the nearest shrine.

Sora had expressed doing a _hatsumode_ while it was still the first week of the New Year. Because of the huge celebrations of New Year in Japan, she and Leon had not been able to book a flight until after most of the New Year's festivities.

_It's too bad Leon wasn't able to see them_, she wistfully thought. _Maybe some other year…_

"Sora-chan," her mother asked as she kept an eye on Yume as they went up the stairs of the shrine, "You said that there was something you wanted to do after this visit. Where do you want to go without Leon-san?"

Sora smiled at the use of his first name. _I'm sure him helping with dinner that one night won her over._ And he said he wasn't charming. _Soon enough, there'd be a –kun at the end of his name, maybe even –chan._

Her smile widened at the thought of him being called 'Leon-chan.'

_Probably not._

She managed to cover over her laugh with a clearing of her throat. With her answer to her mother's question in her mind, her humor abated. When she first came to the United States for the tryouts a little over five years ago, she had a visa and then a work permit once she was on contract with the Kaleido Stage. After all, it didn't make sense for her to file for citizenship if she wasn't sure she'd continue living there. While the United States allowed for dual citizenship, Japan didn't.

She didn't want to be hasty in forfeiting her rights as a Japanese national.

After her second return to the stage, she had decided that she was going to stay in the United States. It was a decision done as her resolve to create her dream stage in Cape Mary. There would be no turning back. She had called her parents to let them know of her decision, not wanting them to feel that she was abandoning her heritage but to have them understand how strongly she felt about her dream.

Leon didn't have that problem; France allowed for a dual citizenship. Though, knowing that he wasn't attached to his home country she doubted it would have been an issue for him to drop his French citizenship.

For her though, it hadn't been a light matter.

Now, she visited her home country as a guest. It made her sad sometimes, but she knew that it was just a matter of paperwork.

"I've been thinking about my wedding gown," Sora started with a small smile, "and I think I'd like to have a bridal _kimono_ for the ceremony."

Those words filled Midori with joy and the motherly pangs of seeing her child grown up. With fondness, she recalled the times when Sora would sneak into her closet and alternate between putting on her festival _yukata_ and one of her _kimono_. Back then, it had been dressing up.

Now it was a necessity.

Midori put a hand along Sora's cheek. "We'll have to find you a nice one."

SL

The females met Leon back at the apartment.

Midori greeted him as he opened the door for them and Yume's head slowly looked up at him and then followed her mother inside. He noted that she tended to do that. _My height might be strange to her_. His presence in general, if he thought about it more.

He inwardly shrugged.

Sora pecked him on the cheek. "_Ohayou,_" she started but then she paused for a few seconds, her eyes glinting as she added with some mirth, "Leon-chan."

He recognized the greeting '_Ohayou_,' but the last part…

"Leon-chan?"

He quirked a brow when his fiancée giggled instead of explaining the addition of –chan to his name. He heard her parents call her –chan, but –san was the only suffix that was added to his name. _A pet name, is it? _The corner of his mouth twitched in the beginnings of a smirk.

Two can play that game.

He stepped out into the hallway and quietly closed the door. Sora's giggles cut off as he walked into her personal space.

"_Bonjour_," he murmured, and then he leaned incredibly close making sure to purr out the last part, "_ma bichette._"

Her brown eyes widened and her cheeks were red as his fingers grazed the side of her face. _He could be calling me a fat cow and I wouldn't know_. French was her weakness in so many ways…

"I'm going to look up what you just said."

He gave her a languid smile. "Please do." Her lips pursed and she turned the handle of the front door. Leon followed her inside, finally noticing the rather bulky shopping bag in her hand. "What did you buy?"

Sora bent over to pick up the bag her mother left on the couch and continued to Yume's room—her temporary room during their stay there.

"It's a surprise," she sang out, "so no peeking!"

He nearly rolled his eyes. If anyone had a problem with peeking, it was her. Leon heard her mother call out from the kitchen. Sora backtracked to hear the Japanese words.

She blinked a few times, but then said, "_Hai._"

He knew that word by now. "You agreed to show me the purchase."

"No Mr. Nosy," she teased and then stuck out her tongue at him, "not everything's about you."

Her mother laughed upon hearing that. _If she only knew what else I bought her, she wouldn't have said that. _Mother she may be, but she was a bride once.

Midori secretly smiled as she cut up the vegetables for lunch.

* * *

Sora closed her room door and put the bags on the bed.

_"Don't open the white box until your bridal shower," Midori said._

She was pulling out the white box, noting how light it felt, taking in the fact that it was as long as her arm, but not that wide. _What's in here?_ It had to be something from the department store. That was the only place they went.

A bit of giddiness filled her.

* * *

Leon was watching over Yume in the living room when Midori called out to him.

"Leon-san, would you retrieve Sora-chan before she peeks at her gift?"

He didn't question the request.

Midori hummed as she heard his steps across the room. A door opened and she could hear her daughter squeak. She shook her head as Sora's guilty voice tried covering up what she was doing. Suddenly, the young woman "oomphed" and Leon's steps returned. Curious to what had happened Midori turned her head towards the kitchen opening.

She looked in time to see Sora hanging over Leon's shoulder.

"There was too much wrapping paper to see," Sora grouched.

They walked out of Midori's view as they continued to the living room, but she could hear the soft scoff of Leon. Soon, Yume let out shrill laughter probably caused by seeing her sister being carried over in that manner.

"_Arigato, _Leon-san!" Midori said.

There was silence for a few moments and then, "_Dou itashimashite."_

Midori blinked. _He's catching on pretty fast._ Granted, it had not been said smoothly and his pronunciation needed some work, but all things considered, it was not bad at all.

Her grandkids were going to be incredible little acrobats with English, French, and Japanese speaking skills. _Oh and then just picture their looks…! _She was grinning as her imagination ran wild.

The future seemed _very_ promising.

SL

They were still in Japan for one more day.

Leon was an early riser, but that particular morning, he felt like sleeping in a little longer than usual. He shifted on the futon and was dozing on his back when he heard the light pattering of feet. The sound was towards the bathroom, so he did not think much of it.

He fell back asleep.

The next thing he was aware of was something being placed on his chest. His eyes opened and looked at the strange green and purple toy with its huge eyes staring at him. A pink elephant was placed next to the strange creature.

He now had two animals staring down at him.

"_Mami_," came Yume's young voice.

She sat comfortably next to his prone figure still wearing her purple and yellow pjs and her caramel hair in twin pigtails. He blinked at the child's small finger pointing at the green and purple toy. It looked to be a cross between a horse and some sort of insect, given its ridiculously large eyes.

"_Mami,_" she repeated with more emphasis.

"Mami," Leon said.

She nodded very enthusiastically.

"_Aimi._" Her pudgy figure pointed at the pink elephant.

"Eyee-mee_._"

"_Aimi_," she repeated, correcting Leon's pronunciation.

"…Aimi."

She squealed in excitement. When she took the toys off of him, he made to sit up, having thought that she just wanted to introduce him to her two toys.

Leon blinked as three other toys were replaced.

He inwardly sighed and leaned his head back on the pillow, patiently waiting for the names of these three toys. _She couldn't possibly have carried more than this. _He looked around the little girl and his eyes widened upon seeing a whole crowd of stuffed animals sitting on the couch.

_How did I not hear her approach?_

"_Chou._"

Yume picked up the blue and yellow butterfly and made it flap its wings by moving it up and down. The toy crash landed into the other two on his chest.

"Yume-chan!"

The little girl looked up and saw her mother covering her mouth upon seeing the toys on Leon. The older woman was torn between laughing and gaping at the embarrassing situation her little girl placed their guest in.

"I apologize, Leon-san," Midori said as she grabbed the toys off of him and then grabbed the girl's hand.

"It was nothing," he murmured, picking up the butterfly that had fallen off on his other side. He sat up and held the toy up for Yume to grab. "_Chou_."

Yume nodded with a big grin. "_Chou!_"

SL

Sora hugged her mother and Yume as Leon shook hands with her father.

"Call anytime, Sora-chan and Leon-san."

Leon looked over upon hearing his name. He gave a nod, but then felt a sharp tug of his hair. He looked down to see a lock of his hair in Yume's small fist.

She said 'bye' in Japanese, but he did not understand the other word she said. Whatever it was, it made Sora smile and Midori put a hand over her heart.

He repeated the 'bye.' The girl smiled and then let go of his hair.

SL

They sat on the plane ride back to America.

Sora had taken off her seat belt and pushed the armrest out of the way so she could lean against Leon. She rested her head on his shoulder as she perused the travel magazine in his hands. _He's been staring at the same page for a while now._ Considering that she knew him to be a fast reader, it was rather strange that he had yet to turn the page.

"What did Yume say to me?"

She smiled. "I was wondering when you'd ask."

He turned to look at her face. Her smile grew a little wistful. She kind of didn't want to tell him, given his reaction to her mother looking forward to having him as a son. But…

"She called you 'big brother.'"

Her smile waned upon feeling him tense up. _Maybe I shouldn't have told him._ For all she knew, maybe he wasn't able to handle being called someone's 'big brother' anymore…

"Leon, if you're not comfortable with her calling you that, I can—"

"It's fine," he murmured.

He closed the magazine and placed it back in the pocket of the seat in front of him. Her hand rested on the side of his face.

"It's ok if you're not comfortable."

He looked up at her sympathetic doe eyes. "Perhaps later on, she could," he started quietly, "but right now…"

He wasn't sure how he was going to fit into this new situation. Not for the first time, he felt out of place within her family.

"Of course," she softly spoke.

She settled herself back against him with her arm looped through his and her head back on his shoulder. She brought one of his hands up to her lips and kissed the back of it.

"Take all the time you want."

She felt his fingers twitch in her hand. She threaded their fingers together and placed their hands back down. A few moments later, he rested the side of his face against the top of her head.

He let out a weary sigh. She gave his hand a squeeze.

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AN: Again, not that many changes, though I did combine two or three chapters.

I decided to give Sora's uncle/ foster father the name Atsushi because it means "compassionate warrior." It matched with my image of him as a gentle guy, but protective of his family.

Translations (from internet. :P):

_Hatsumode_: the first visiting of a shrine/temple of the New Year in Japan.

_San-san-kudo_: I will be covering some of this later.

_Ohayou: _informal hello. Like "hey."

_Hai: _yes (among other meanings)

_Arigato_: informal thanks

_Dou itashimashite: _You're welcome

_Bonjour:_ Used for hello, good morning, or good afternoon.

_Ma bichette: _My little doe. (pet name :P)


	19. Chapter 19

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Sora dashed about his apartment, quickly putting things in their place.

She had a good half an hour before he returned with the groceries she asked him to get for dinner tonight. The navy blue and silver streamers hung around the room with tape. One part started to fall and she dashed over to add two more pieces of tape so it will stick.

She went through a lot of trouble to get this information, what with having Sarah hack into Kalos' office computer and pulling up Leon's personal files while Sora created a diversion to keep the Boss away from his office long enough.

_He probably thinks I'm an idiot._

She had come up with the most ridiculous diversion involving Jonathan's pool, some green dye, and rubber ducks. But it was all worth the effort and slight humiliation.

_…Hopefully._

She wasn't quite sure what he'd think about her prying into his files, but in the past years he hadn't been forthcoming with his birth date.

_Will he be upset like Layla was or be quietly happy about it?_

She hoped it was more along the lines of "quietly happy."

Keys jangled by the front door. She quickly turned off the lights and then ducked behind the couch.

SL

Leon had the grocery bags in one hand as he tried to unlock the door. He muttered something under his breath, still irritated with his experience at the market.

The place she sent him to had fascinating wares and he, having never been to the Asian market she had found a few years back, had been in a fairly good mood and even bought some food from the kitchen area.

The issue he had was at the next store.

He had impulsively decided to get some baked goods at the nearest super market with the intent of getting an extra big smile out of his fiancée when, low and behold, as he walked into the store and down the aisles, he had been accosted by a fan or two.

_More like fifteen…_he wiry thought.

He didn't quite understand why they approached him, having never really been a person that eluded charisma or the "come hither" look. If anything, his stare intimidated people more often than not.

Apparently, these fans took his impassive face as an invitation.

Trying not to be as harsh as he used to be, he had been fairly polite in his declines for dinner, a movie, a concert, and even someone's birthday party and had even mentioned being taken.

Only a few took that as a sign to back off.

There were rather lewd offers made, even when he bluntly mentioned his upcoming engagement.

One had winked and offered her card, saying that she wouldn't mind being there for his bachelor party or his last gal before "getting hitched." He just walked away at that point, not even bothering to respond to that flat out lascivious offer. He hadn't even purchased anything, having been too fed up to want to stay there long enough to look or to stand in line.

He still wasn't sure if he'd tell her what happened.

_Will it upset her more than she already is about my fans?_

It was a tough call to make.

He finally got the door unlocked and gave it a little push so he could come in. His brows furrowed as the lights were out, though he did notice something glowing over on the table in the dining area.

The door closed and the lights were back on.

Sora popped up from behind the couch and cheered, "Happy birthday!"

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	20. Chapter 20

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He stayed over by the door, his eyes slightly wide. The bags slipped from his hand and fell to the carpet with a barely audible sound.

She put her arms down and waited for him to say something. He didn't have to, but she'll give him a moment to do so.

His eyes were normal again as he looked over at the streamers, the balloons over by the table and the faint glowing of what he could now see were candles on a cake. A gift wrapped box sat next to the cake, and his eyes rested back on her.

When he stayed silent, she walked to him and placed her hands into his. His eyes half closed as she softly brushed her lips against his.

"How did you find out?"

She let out a small smile. "I have my ways."

His brow lifted up as she pressed up again for another brush of lips. "I didn't know," she quietly said between their soft, short kisses, "that you were an October baby."

His hand cupped her cheek as he leaned down to put more pressure on their lips. She sighed into his kiss, her hands coming to his shoulders as his other arm went along her back to bring her against him. She felt him angle his head and the slight insistence of his lips along the seam of her mouth.

Her hands were buried in his hair and his hand along her waist rubbed her side. She let out a mewl as his warm mouth heatedly kissed her with a little more intensity than what was usual as of late.

_Guess this means he's not mad._

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Coming home to her little surprise was just what he needed.

Though, he had to admit, kissing her was something he enjoyed more than the strawberry and dark chocolate cake she made.

They sat on the couch with the dirty plates from their dinner and dessert on the coffee table along with the half-eaten plate of egg rolls and tempura shrimp Leon had gotten at the Asian market. The wrapping paper was on the floor next to the couch and the picture frames she had given him sat on the mantel with his heirloom clock.

One frame held a picture of the cast in the Hades and Persephone costumes. Another picture she had taken with the both of them with the ocean in the background, though the shot was angled and they weren't exactly in the center. The third one she had tracked down, it being the end shot of them embracing for the last scene of the Swan Lake performance a little over two years ago.

The last one he liked, what with the gossamer cloth of her costume floating like wings. It had been the first embrace he truly gave her; during rehearsals, he had merely caught her and made sure she kept her balance. During the actual show, all of the feelings coursing through him made him want to embrace her in appreciation.

It was the beginnings of his feelings of true affection for her.

She shifted on the couch, bringing his attention away from the mantel. She had let him choose a movie and they were now in the middle of watching it.

His arm was along the back of the couch and his fingers lightly stroked her shoulder as she cuddled against his side.

"I'm glad you were born," she said with no prompting, her face tilted up towards his.

His fingers paused at her statement. He could not recall ever being told that.

"For a while," he lowly said as his eyes blankly watched the TV, "I wondered why I was still alive."

More than six years ago, he constantly asked himself that.

He couldn't understand why his sweet sister was the one to die and he was left alive. He, the aloof one, he, the one that found it hard to show compassion to strangers and yet his sister thought the reverse. She had wondered why she couldn't do more for people, even though he told her time and again that she was doing more than enough.

_"Enough?" she had asked him with her pale green eyes bright and clear, "Leon, there's no such thing as enough." She smiled. "I'll have done enough when I'm finally in my grave."_

Her words back then had chilled his insides when she had said them; the recollection brought the cold feeling of the bad omen back into the pit of his stomach…

"You're still alive," Sora tenderly started, her hand reaching up and caressing his face, "so I can love you."

The creeping chill abated.

He saw the emotion flooding her eyes with the flickering light of the TV. He leaned forward, entranced by her and the sincerity of her words. Their foreheads rested against each other, the movie long forgotten. His eyes begged her to speak again, move his heart once more as it yearned for her honeyed words.

"I couldn't touch you," she murmured, her nose bumping against his, "if you were gone."

His hand moved to cradle the back of her head as her fingers ran along his cheek and then to the very edge of his upper lip. Her eyes were half closed as she connected her lips with his.

"I couldn't kiss you, if you weren't here."

He closed his eyes when she brushed against his lips. His hand brought her closer and she came, slowly and softly, with love in each motion.

"I couldn't be your wife," she whispered, "if you couldn't be my husband."

He was overwhelmed with her love. His head came down on her as his mouth completely covered hers. Her hands quickly find his neck as he made her lie down against the cushion, no longer willing to keep her love unanswered, no longer able to stay still with such proclamations.

The two softly moaned, the movie continued to run despite no one watching.

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	21. Chapter 21

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The autumn was upon them and Mia was still struggling.

Anna and Marion looked up from their slices of pumpkin pie and spotted their friend by the desk gripping her long pigtails as she let out a loud sound of aggravation.

"These ideas stink!"

Anna took another bite of her pie. "Have you looked over your notebook of past ideas?"

"Yeah, but they don't really fit the cast we have!"

Marion walked over from the kitchen table to look over Mia's list. She read _Peter Pan_, _Narnia_, _Snow White_…

"What's the _White Bear King Valemon_?"

"It's a Norwegian folk tale; this king is turned into a polar bear because he refused to marry some sorceress or something. A young woman ends up finding him and helps to break the curse." Mia scribbled down some other titles as she spoke. "There was a movie that came out based on it called 'The Polar Bear King'; I saw it as a kid. But I don't think Leon will consent to dressing like a polar bear for most of the show."

"What about _Robin Hood_?" Anna suggested over by the table. "Most people know about that story."

Mia stiffened in her seat. She swiveled around to face Anna with a frown.

"You want a _French_ acrobat to play the leading male of a popular tale from _England_?"

Anna shrugged. "I'm sure Leon won't care."

"That's not the point! _I'll_ worry about it, especially when people from France and England hear about it!" She huffed and turned back to her desk. "I'd like to _not _cause another issue between those two countries, thank you very much!"

"Well, what about _Beauty and the Beast_?"

"Eh," Mia sounded as her pencil tapped the paper, "I feel like that tale's been retold a lot."

"How about something adventurous?" Anna garnished her fork like a sword, "Something swashbuckling and awesome with room for gags!"

"Or secret identities like _The Scarlet Pimpernel_!" squealed Marion for a few seconds before she deflated. "Oh wait, Sir Percy was English even though it was during the French Revolution."

Mia's pencil stopped as her mind computed. _Swashbuckling, swords, adventurous, and with a secret identity…_

She widely grinned. "I've got it!"

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AN: I wonder if people can guess it...


	22. Chapter 22

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A few days later, a sleep deprived Mia presented her rough draft script to Kalos.

He looked over it from behind his desk; the young woman was nearly falling asleep on her feet when the owner placed the script down and stood up.

"It's looks good; we can run it by the others."

She didn't have the energy to squeal and jump around. "Thank you, Boss."

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After a much needed nap, Mia gathered most of her friends into her dorm room.

Ken was the only male, but he was used to being the odd man out, so to speak.

"Sooo," Mia started with a grin on her face, "I just gave a rough copy to Kalos and had someone deliver another one to Sora and Leon in the practice room to see if any of them have any issues, but as it stands, we're good to go on a new production!"

May had her elbow on the armrest and her cheek against her closed hand. "You still haven't told us _what_ that production will be."

With a dramatic twisting of her arm, Mia proclaimed, "_Zorro!"_

"What?!"

"Aw yeah, swashbuckling!"

May's head came off of her fist as she thought about it. "Aren't there scenes that are a little too dark and inappropriate for a family stage?"

Mia wagged a finger. "That's because you're thinking of the 1998 movie version with Antonio Banderas."

The scriptwriter ran over to her desk and came back with her glasses on and several pages of notebook paper. "The actual creation of the character 'Zorro' came from a pulp fiction writer in 1919. The writer was pretty inconsistent with the storyline, having a villain die in one book and then the next one he was still alive," Mia looked up from her notes, "So I really don't see any problems with us creating another adventure that draws from the world of 'Zorro.' We just have to look into needing to pay any royalties for borrowing any portions for our show."

Ken sat up as a thought occurred. "I haven't seen any of the movies or series, but is there even a female lead in them?"

Mia smiled. "I'm glad you brought that up!" The papers rustled as she looked it up. "There have been love interests in the books and other media." She grinned very widely. "But I'm thinking of something along the lines of Catherine Zeta Jones' character 'Elena' from _The Mask of Zorro_."

May snorted. "You just want to have that sexy swordplay scene in there."

"No!" Mia indignantly responded—though the speed and volume of it made May think that she had guessed correctly—"That female character will make a pretty and strong leading role to play alongside Zorro!"

"You mean 'feisty'," May wiry intoned. She sat back and crossed her legs. "I think Sora and Leon are going to _really_ enjoy this production."

Ken turned very red upon hearing that. He still couldn't believe that Leon had been caressing her during the tryouts. _Who knows what will happen during this production?_

"So wait," Rosetta said with some confusion, "if Zorro's a swordsman, then most of the show will be swordplay then?"

"Not necessarily. Zorro's a clever character that uses his wits more than force. Besides, if we can do a _Dracula_ on ice and an _Arabian Nights_ on a flaming, rocking boat, why can't we have a _Zorro _show with some fencing in there?"

"Good point."

"I call dibs on being the gag swordswoman!" Anna cheered.

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Over in the practice room, Sora held the scrip open as Leon looked on with her.

_Leon as Zorro?_

She's seen the poster before, but not the movie. Her head turned a little and from the corner of her eye, she mentally put on the black outfit of Zorro on his figure. The black domino mask mentally appeared on him, covering half of his face. His grey eyes showed through the holes of the mask, mysterious and gleaming with mischief…and currently staring back at her.

She turned forward with a rosy color on her cheeks.

_He'd make an attractive Zorro at the very least._

His chin rested on her shoulder. "Do you know how to fence?"

"N-Not really."

The swordplay from the _Arabian Nights _show wasn't anything formal. It had been pretty messy, but it was exhilarating sword fighting.

He smirked then and his eyes crinkled a little in amusement. She stiffened as his arms went around her waist.

"It looks like there will be private lessons after all."

She squeaked as he murmured those words into her ear. He rumbled out a chuckle and then nipped her cheek.

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AN: The idea wouldn't leave my head. XD But it works well with what I have coming up.

Kudos to AngelStoryTeller for getting it right. :P


	23. Chapter 23

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Sora tugged at the white glove of her fencing outfit.

The strange helmet with the face mesh was peculiar to her, but Leon had insisted on them having all parts of the outfit for safety reasons. The door to the practice room opened with Leon striding in with his helmet under his arm and looking dashing in his fencing outfit.

She was so glad for her helmet at the moment; she could feel her face heating up.

"You don't need the helmet on yet," he said with some amusement. "I need to teach you a few moves before we actually have a match."

_Drat._

She hesitated for a few seconds, hoping that the blush on her face had cooled even just a little bit. Her red hair tumbled out from the helmet, bringing out an appreciative hmm from Leon.

"For starters," he finally said after taking his time to look her over, which did nothing to cool the flush of her face, "a match begins with 'e_n guard_,' '_prêt_,' and then '_allez.'_ These are verbal warnings to take a defensive position, get ready, and then go, _allez_ marking the actual start of the action of the match."

He slipped the foil from his side and held it in his right hand.

"This is a basic starting pose," his weight shifted and his knees bent. The long piece of metal shone as he made some swiping motion with the foil. "Alright, go ahead and get into position."

Sora blinked and then quickly bent her legs, holding her foil up with her right hand.

Leon stepped over and circled her, checking her pose. "Hm."

_What does 'hm' mean?_ She did not get the chance to ask for he came up behind her and pressed against her. She squeaked as he bent his knees with her, adjusting the width of her feet's stance and then flushed a little when his hand came along her left thigh, pushing down on it so she'd put more weight on it.

"Lean back on that leg," he murmured in her ear.

She did as instructed.

His arms came up along hers, moving her left arm more back above the left leg and bending the right arm along the side of her body.

"Good," he said with a brush of his lips against her cheek.

He suddenly straightened up and looked at her form again. She felt the loss of his body heat. Appreciative grey roamed along her pose, seeing the female fighter that she will become.

"Very good."

She felt her stomach squirm upon hearing his tone of voice.

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AN: Just a note, I'm using what I've found online to describe fencing. If you see something that I've misunderstood about the sport, feel free to send me a note about it. :P


	24. Chapter 24

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Most of her friends noticed the change.

Leon was around the Kaleido property more often within the past year, so they weren't surprised to see Sora and him walking around or holding hands.

Though, no one's really seen them actually kissing and stuff.

Ken and May were the only ones that had seen Leon touching her; Marion had seen some caresses before, but she had been peeking into their practices when they forgot to lock the door, so she technically _shouldn't _have seen those.

During his stay here, Yuri had seen them kissing; some other performers saw them necking in the parking lot sometimes, but not her close friends.

So when Mia and Ken had seen Leon hovering above their friend with her back against the wall, they had been a little taken back by it.

The man himself wasn't really doing much. From what they could tell, he was murmuring in her ear, placing little kisses along her face and his hand was caressing her arm.

The young woman's face was rosy and her eyes stayed on him.

Mia and Ken shared a look. Just what was he saying to her?

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Sora let out a breath as his fingers lightly ran along her arm.

He pressed another kiss on her cheek and then murmured something else in her ear. For the life of her, she didn't know _what _he was saying; the French words slipped out of his mouth like warm honey, covering her with his feelings and thoughts that she could only guess on.

_I can see why it's one of the 'romance' languages._

She just wished she _understood_ it.

He kissed her again, this time with a little nip to it. Her lashes fluttered as he traveled past her jawline and to her neck.

"_Je t'aime_," flitted into her ears. _I've heard that before._ She was fairly certain she knew what that meant. Her heart skipped upon hearing it.

"_Je t'aime,_" he murmured again into her skin.

Her hands came about his head; one of them laid against his cheek. His face turned and kissed her fingers. Her head came down to kiss the side of his face. Both continued kissing skin until she made it to his lips. They brushed once, twice, and the third time became a long, opened mouthed kiss.

She mewled as his tongue caressed her, sending jolts of pleasure down her spine.

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	25. Chapter 25

AN: Shout out to 8megami8! I'm very flattered that you like my stories! :D

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In the office of the Kaleido Stage owner, an older man in his late thirties to early forties continued to scroll down the inbox. His frown continued to stay as he scanned message after message of the public response e-mail box for the stage.

High pitched laughter sounded.

Kalos looked over at Sarah on the couch as she clutched several pages in her hand and guffled over its contents.

"This person..hee hee!...listed _fifty_ reasons why Leon would be better engaged to him."

Kalos quirked a brow. "Her?"

"Him." She tittered behind the letter. "Hate to burst his bubble, but I really don't think Leon swings that way."

When Kalos made to look back at his computer, Sarah held her hand up.

"Wait, wait, there's another good one." She looked for another letter on the mess of papers on the coffee table in front of her. "Ah, here it is!" She cleared her throat to read the letter:

'To the Dictator People Controlling the Kaleido Stage,

You all suck –Sarah took a moment to get her giggles under control—majorly. Spamming the fan forums with _rumors _of an engagement between the leading male and female is a very _low_ and _amateur _thing to do just to create a stir with the fans.

What are you hoping we'll all do? Maybe have us buy tickets to see Leon while he's still single? Have an auction for both of them for a date before they tie the knot?

I don't know and I don't care. Just get your act together.

Signed,

A Seriously Displeased Fan'

"That auction thing sounds pretty profitable," Sarah snickered. "Or even selling tickets for Leon's Bachelor Party or Sora's Bridal Shower."

Kalos pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just call those two in here. I've had enough of these kinds of messages."

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They were in the practice room for the fencing instruction.

As soon as the two were there, the air grew a little thick with something.

Sora had felt it before, so she recognized it that way, but she didn't necessarily know what it was exactly. Leon stood before her with lidded eyes. She had a feeling that he was aware of what it was.

She swallowed a little, especially as he approached her with confidence and a bit of a suave air to him.

Her practice foil was up.

Leon used his to lightly hit the beginning portion of her sword.

"The top third of the blade is called the foible," he lowly said, "and it is the weakest part in terms of leverage. Speed," he hit her foil again and as a natural reaction, she smacked his foil in return, which caused a small smile to appear on his face, "is the purpose of using the foible."

"_Coulé_," he nearly purred as his thin blade ran down hers, "also called graze, is the sliding attack or feint along another's blade."

"The purpose of this is to gain leverage from forte," he hit the bottom portion of her blade near the pommel, "against foible," the top part of his blade hit the forte of her blade.

"Or forte," his blade slid to touch her blade with the forte of his, making him step into her personal space, "against forte."

Her cheeks were tinted and her lips were parted a little. He reveled in her reaction to his teasing. Because he was looking at her, he saw the hint of mischief enter her eyes.

"So for forte against forte, could I do this?" She took a bold step into his space, making their legs touch as she put some pressure on his blade with hers.

"You could," he mused aloud, "though in a match, you would be making a prohibited move, _Corps-à-corps_."

"And what's that?"

His head inclined close to hers. "The illegal action of bodies touching," he slowly drawled.

She shivered then, as his hand pushed her blade down in order to reveal her face to him. "But you do it all the time," she breathed out, his eyes swirling with emotions.

The corner of his mouth tilted up. "My mistake."

His face came to hers, their foreheads lightly resting on one another.

"You're still touching me," she murmured.

He nipped a curve of her upper lip. "Are you going to stop me?"

She grinned at him, tilting her face upwards, but did not verbally respond to him. Her lips kissed his upper lip, lightly pulling on it with her mouth. He shuddered a breath out as she licked it with the tip of her tongue, the playful little motion making his mouth feel hyper sensitive.

He moved his head more downwards, letting her continue to tease his upper lip while her plump lower one was left to the mercy of his teeth and tongue.

She half whimpered then, as he slowly drew her lip into his mouth.

The loud banging of the practice door alerted them of a visitor before the door opened and Sarah came into the room.

Sora blushed and ducked her head away from Leon.

Leon silently mourned the loss of her lips.

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AN: Corps a corps also includes the touching of hilts/pommels, but I left it at bodies in order to keep the mood. ;P

Thanks for the reviews! I will post when possible! I usually have more time on the weekends, but not always.


	26. Chapter 26

AN: Here's a long chapter to make up for the wait!

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Sora nervously smoothed her black pencil skirt over as she sat on the Boss's couch. Leon was next to her with his arm along the back of the couch and the picture of cool calmness. She spied his pose from the corner of her eye as the interviewer took a sip from his cup.

_How does he do it?_

She can't get the hang of private interviews. The informal ones she had an easier time speaking freely and with confidence, but when she had to dress up and speak eloquently…

Since they've been partners, she often left the hard questions for Leon to answer. She's all over questions about the stage or anything about the show itself; however, she was tightlipped when it came to them wanting her to critique some new acrobat's performance or anything "political" within the circus and performing world.

_As long as he's a cool cucumber, I'll be the locked up box._

The interviewer leaned over and turned the recorder on. "So what's the newest production coming?"

Sora leaned forward, Leon leaned back.

"Our scriptwriter, Mia Guillem, has come up with an adventure based off of the world of _Zorro_."

The man noted something down with a smile. "Well now, a swashbuckling show! I like that." He looked up at her and said, "I recall, some years back, that you and Layla Hamilton had co-starred in _Arabian Nights. _I applaud your performance; I've rarely seen a new performer maneuver on a moving tightrope as energetically as you did."

Sora laughed it off. "We had put a lot of hours into training for that." She looked over at Leon to see if he wanted to say something and then over back at the interviewer when Leon stayed quiet, "As we do for all of our shows."

"Of course," he nodded, "with that said, is there any special training either of you are undertaking for this production?"

"Fencing lessons," Leon said. "The whole cast is learning the basics, however, the leading characters and villain have more in depth training for phenomenal fight scenes."

The interviewer grinned. "I'll be looking forward to that." Then, his eyes drifted over to look at Sora's hands folded on her lap. "If you don't mind me asking, there have been numerous postings and comments on the Kaleido Stage fan sites regarding a rumor…" He cleared his throat and then continued, "Is there an engagement between you two, the leads of the stage?"

Sora's hand twitched.

After talking with Kalos last week, they told him that he could allow the interviewer a question or two regarding their engagement. Before private interviews occur, the interviewers were required to submit a copy of their questions to Kalos.

In the past, some interviews simply were out to dig up some dirt on the stage and performers in the guise of a professional Q and A. Kalos didn't want to waste time with those kinds of interviews. However, after seeing some of the fan mail, Sora felt that it needed to be addressed publically in order to finally get the rumors to settle down somewhat—though, the official news will cause a stir, but then things could even out faster than them keeping it quite.

_Such is the life of public figures._

She generally didn't mind the fans, but sometimes she didn't understand the hype over wanting to know every aspect of their lives.

She swallowed and shifted her hands so the left sat on top of the right. "Yes, we are."

"Oh," he said and then he straightened his papers on his lap, "So, when's the big day?"

Her cheeks tinted a little and she turned to Leon for that. _We technically don't have a date set yet…_They had an idea of when, but not the actual day. _I don't think it will sound very good if I just shrug and say, 'We don't know.'_

She was sure Leon wouldn't care if she did say that, but going off of May's reaction when she had told her that, it probably didn't sound very certain of an engagement if the couple did not have an idea of when their nuptials would be.

This, then, was a question left for Mr. Cool Cucumber.

She sat back and he leaned forward a little.

"Given the new production coming and the training, the date is difficult to pin down at the moment," Leon smoothly stated, "However, with our preparations underway, it will most likely be in the late winter or early spring."

The man blinked at that response. It was already late November.

_In a bit of a hurry, are we? _His eye slid over to Sora as Leon's hand stroked her shoulder.

_Lucky dog…_

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After the interview was over, Sora sighed and sprawled herself on her dorm couch.

"That was exhausting!" She lightly bemoaned as she carelessly kicked her heels off of her feet.

Her fiancée came over as he amusedly watched her freed toes wiggling in the air. He lifted her legs up, quirking a brow at the bright blue painted on her toenails and then sat down on the couch, her legs now across his lap.

"Don't get too comfortable," he started as he felt the smoothness of her calves, "we have several places to go today."

She lifted her arm from over her eyes. "Oo, did you call the bakery back with our cake option?"

"Yes." Withholding a smirk, he asked, "the second choice, correct?"

She sat up at that. "Please tell me you're joking." When she saw him slowly blink at her, she lightly frowned at him. "That was my _least _favorite one. You even said it tasted like they blended a bunch of sugar cubes and made the cake out of that!" She tugged at his sleeve. "You need to call them again before they have us set for that one!"

He let out a small smile at her fretting. Upon seeing it, she grabbed a couch pillow and hit him with it.

"Oh, you trickster!" She got in another hit as she pouted. "I should have known!"

He chuckled as he easily grabbed the pillow from her hands, tossed it away from the couch and then pounced on her. She eeped as he grabbed her hands in a firm, but gentle hold and began tickling her neck with his nose. She giggled as she squirmed beneath him, only trying to free her hands once before she simply threaded their fingers and faced his attacks.

"You told them option four?" she asked as his tickling changed into love bites.

He lightly sucked along her pulse, receiving a mewl in response for the action. He hummed against her neck, placing a kiss over the area he just attacked.

"Yes."

"With the drop icing that looks like—"

"Lacing," he finished, "Three tiered with three different flavors on each level." He kissed her lips, tasting a new chapstick flavor. _Some sort of berry, if I'm not mistaken_. "You come in all sorts of flavors," he teasingly murmured, "I'd rather have you."

She flushed a little.

"With some dark chocolate and whipped cream," he teased as he placed short kisses on her lips, "I think you will make a very tasty cake."

Her face was burning at his implication. _He's getting bolder as the days go by._ She was finding it harder to come up with a comeback. He nipped her lip and then sat up.

"We need to see the florist."

She blinked at the change but took his proffered hand. "We really don't need that many flowers; it's just close friends and family."

"No," he agreed, "but it's necessary for the hall and, of course, your bouquet."

"Don't forget the flower for your tux," she added.

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	27. Chapter 27

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Sora's nose scrunched up as she looked at the swatches.

_The lilac's nice, but so is the soft, pale blue._

Her thoughts were interrupted by the hand twirling a lock of her hair.

"You can help," she wiry said as his fingers went up her neck, "instead of distracting me."

She felt little thrills as he moved her hair aside and placed light kisses along her throat. In their practices, she was calling him out on the illegal 'corps-a-corps' move more often. _Not that that stops him._ He just gets sneakier with the touches during their matches.

"You seem to be doing fine," he murmured.

She shivered as his lips moved against her skin.

His hands lightly brushed her sides, making her release a shaky breath. He loved how responsive she was to his touch. It made him want to cause more. His hands moved along her stomach, pressing her back to his chest. His eyes closed, enjoying the feeling of holding her without it being a part of a scene.

With the way practice was going, the show was due in the early summer.

_A spring wedding seems doable. _

He'd rather not get married during the performing season where the schedule was not flexible with the hours since they were preplanned. Then, there was the possibility of added show times if the performance was popular. It would be the next winter at the earliest. He didn't know about Sora, but he wasn't keen on the idea of getting married after the shows.

Her hands went over his. His eyes stared at their left hands, seeing their engagement rings. Her thumb rubbed over the smooth silver band on his finger as she thought.

"Are we going too fast?" she voiced out.

"Do you feel that we are?"

"…No," she mused, "You've been at the stage for almost four years." Her face tilted up to his. "During that time, we've been learning about each other even if we weren't partners in the beginning."

"Or regularly spoke to one another," he teased.

She attempted to nip his nose. "A certain someone was being a grouch."

"May?"

"You, Mr. Lone Wolf!" she laughed as his fingers tickled her sides. "It took forever to get you to come to the cast parties!"

He would come to the mandatory VIP meet and greets, but for any little cast hosted get-togethers he had declined the invites. After one decline too many, May had enough of his avoidance and delegated herself along with Sora to be the ones to invite him before he left for his place.

He remembered the first time they approached him in his dressing room. May had been in her no-nonsense-mood with her hands on her hips and Sora had been a little shy to be there…

"Why did you finally come?" he heard Sora ask.

He released her, allowing her to turn around and talk to him face to face. He didn't need the time to think about why; he recalled it readily enough especially since he had been thinking about it.

May had been pushing for him to come, saying that he was a scaredy-cat or some nonsense like that. The back of his fingers brushed the side of Sora's face as he remembered being pleasantly surprised upon seeing the flower in her hair. Her gaze had been on his shoulder as May talked, but sometime during it she had ventured to look up.

_"Will you come for a little bit?" she asked while a hand shyly twirled a lock of her hair. "You don't have to stay the whole time."_

She did not know that he was secretly infatuated with her; he had not known that she had developed a crush on him during their time as partners.

His forehead rested on hers. "I came because _you_ asked."

Brown eyes blinked and her cheeks colored as the revelation sunk in. _Well, that would explain why he started coming more often._ She wondered if that was why May made her the official inviter for Leon after that time. _May must have caught on before I did._

Her cheeks reddened even more."Did I frustrate you a lot?"

He arched a brow. "In regards to what?"

Her hands fiddled with his hair. "Just in general the whole…" she floundered for words, "getting my attention in the manner you wanted."

"What manner was that?"

"You know," her eyes averted from his when she saw them lidded, "…romantically."

"Define romantically."

Her gaze came back up to see the half smirk on his lips. She glared at him which made him chuckle. "You enjoy my embarrassment too much!"

"Your flustered state," he corrected with a purr.

She pouted. "For that, I'm choosing pink, which means your tie has to be the same color in order to go with the theme!"

He arched a brow at the declaration. "Is that so?"

"Yes," she crossed her arms decidedly.

SL

Five minutes later, she found herself against the wall of his living room.

Her hands were tangled in his hair as she mewled, the sound hard to hear as his mouth stayed over hers, coaxing her to fall under the power of his kiss. Her eyes were fluttering closed as she loosened her lips for him.

He broke the kiss suddenly, making her let out a soft gasp.

He stayed close as they caught their breaths.

"You'll look stupid in pink," she breathed out. Honestly, she had already voted against that color but she had been curious what he would do if she was insistent on it.

"I can pull off anything," he rumbled out.

"Cocky," she quipped.

He gripped her chin, tilting her head up for him to capture her bottom lip. "Pixie."

She gave him an impish smile; he leaned down and returned to kissing her senseless.

SL

SL

SL

AN: I haven't updated this one in a while. Sorry about that! I would like to try to get _Insidious _finished so I can focus on this story more. Plus getting around to finish _Movement._

Note to _Tangled Magic _readers: The poll results are in. There will be a one shot. :) I just don't know when at the moment... XP


	28. Chapter 28

AN: Thanks for the reviews and faves! :D

SL

SL

SL

December came and so did her birthday.

Her friends wanted to take her out since it was her twenty first birthday and she invited Leon to come. He, as well as Ken, separately declined on the invites.

"Go with your friends," Leon murmured, his hand stroking her face, "we'll do something together some other time."

She had thought it was sweet that he'd give her time to hang out with her friends, but with Ken's refusal to come as well, she wondered why the males were declining to come.

_How weird._

SL

Taking two cars with Anna and Sarah being the drivers, the girls arrived at the place for their reserved room.

Sora sat with her friends flanking both sides.

Rosetta and Marion weren't able to come since it was a 21 and older place, but she promised them that they'd do something later that they could all partake in.

"Alright," May grinned as she looked over the drinks list, "I'm buying you a shot."

"Food first, May," Mia admonished.

Anna stood up and started fiddling with the karaoke machine. "I'll set this up for later so we can just use it without any difficulties."

Sarah placed a plastic silver tiara on Sora's head. "We can't forget this, now can we!"

Sora smiled. _This will be a great party._

SL

Halfway through the food, Mia finally allowed for drinks.

"Who ordered the shot?" their server, Jenny, asked.

May pointed over at Sora. "Her highness over there gets it, but it's on my check."

Sora blinked at the small glass and the slice of lemon that sat on the plate. _That's pretty small._ She guessed May wanted to start her off on something simple.

Jenny gave Anna a refill on her soda and replaced Sarah's slushy with a mint and chip shake.

"Why is there a lemon with my drink?"

May paused in taking a sip of her martini. "You down the drink and then take a bite of the lemon." At Sora's skeptical look, May huffed. "It's good, just trust me."

"It's a favorite of a lot of first time drinkers," Jenny added.

After hearing that testimony from Jenny, Sora lifted up the glass. In the corner of her eye, she saw Mia getting her camera up and pointed at her. "Here goes…" With that, she tipped the drink down and then quickly bit the lemon.

Sora's eyes widened in delight. _It tastes like chocolate cake!_

Mia's camera went off with the lemon still in Sora's mouth. Mia giggled as she checked the picture. "You've got a lemon smile!"

"Did you like it?" Jenny inquired.

Sora slipped the lemon out of her mouth. "It's good! How did anyone figure this combo out?"

Laughter sounded around her.

"Alcohol's a mystery," May smirked.

SL

Later in the night, as Sora ordered a Gummi Bear shot and May got her a strawberry daiquiri, she was feeling pretty warm.

She shrugged her sweater off and borrowed a hair tie.

Anna called out if someone wanted to sing a song.

Sora let loose a goofy grin and got up. She quickly sat back down as she wobbled on her feet. _What's up with my head?!_ It felt fuzzy, for the lack of a better word.

"Aw sit down, ya lightweight," May chortled with a lazy wave of her hand. "We don't need ya breakin' somethin' cause ya can't walk!"

Sarah giggled as she got up to do karaoke.

"Why's my head wuzzy?" Sora blinked and then corrected herself, "Fuzzy." She put a hand against her forehead. "I only had two lil drinks," her other hand lifted two fingers up, "and then this drink." She frowned as she added her fingers. "That's like having two, not three, right?"

Mia snorted into her apple-tini. "Oh you," she made to push Sora's shoulder but missed, "Size doesn't matter if it's a mixed drink!" She took a moment to giggle and then she halted suddenly. "Shots are mixed drinks," she clarified with a sober face.

Mia's serious face disappeared as May laughed.

"Ya say size don't matter?" May slapped the table. "That sooo sounded like somethin' else!"

"May!" Mia said in an affronted tone which lasted only for one second. "You naughty, naughty girl!" She wagged a finger in reprimand but the snorted laugh ruined the effect. "Sora doesn't need to hear that from you!"

Anna had been coming over from the karaoke machine to get her drink when she caught their discussion. She shook her head at them.

"What's so naughty about size?" Sora asked.

Mia and May looked at her; they looked at each other and then started to laugh loudly.

"Hah! Oh my—my side!" Mia cried.

May got her laughter under control. With a devious grin, she leaned over the table towards Sora. "Ya wanna know the joke? Ya probably need to pretty soon or are gonna find out, given the whole weddin' thin' comin,'" she snickered. "It's –"

Anna covered Sora's ears, but the action wasn't needed.

Sarah chose her song and was belting out "Dancing Queen" with some very wild tosses of her hair. "This is for ya highness!" she added randomly in the middle of the song with a dramatic pointing at Sora. "I love ya darlin'!"

_Alcohol's weird, _Sora numbly decided.

She absentmindedly nodded her head in agreement with herself. Anna had finally uncovered her ears with the end of May's explanation.

"What are you nodding about?" Anna asked.

Sora's head stopped. Her brows furrowed as she tried to recall.

"I don't remember."

SL

Leon drove to the address Anna had given him over the phone.

As he pulled into the parking lot of the place they had decided to celebrate, he shook his head upon recalling the start of the phone call from his fiancée telling him that she had been made a royal, but not to worry she'd still marry him.

While it had been amusing to hear her reassurances for something that wasn't an actual issue, he was glad that her sober friend Anna snatched the phone from her in order to tell him that he needed to come.

Leon stepped out of the car, seeing Sora leaning against Anna's car as Anna approached Leon.

"Sorry about this," Anna said with a rub to the back of her head. "Sarah accidently ordered drinks from the alcoholic side of the menu and we need two drivers. The back of my car really only has space for two. Anymore and it's pretty uncomfortable."

Leon peered through the front car window. The girls were slumped against each other while Sarah rocked her head back and forth in the passenger seat to some tune in her head.

He shook his head. "Understandable."

"Sora," Anna called over her shoulder, "your carriage is here."

SL

He helped her get out of the car. She stumbled into him, making her tiara askew.

"Ya pretty great," she murmured with a light pat of her hand on his cheek. "I'll try to make ya a knight or somethin'."

"Uh huh," he idly said not for the first time that night, "wrap your arm around my neck."

She sluggishly did as she was told. "Ya know," she paused momentarily as his arm hooked behind her knees and lifted her up to carry her, "not enough people know that about ya, ya know what I mean?"

He closed the passenger door with his foot. She continued to talk as he walked them out of the parking lot.

"…four years now or somethin'. People are crazy. Ya cook some good food and they'll be swarmin' ya, just wait and see…"

It wasn't until they were in the dorm elevators that she commented on him carrying her.

"M' legs are good," she said, "ya put me down. It's ok."

"I'd rather just take you the rest of the way. We're almost there, highness," came his wiry response.

The elevator dinged and he stepped out, not noticing her pensive stare. He had gotten her key from her handbag earlier so when he stopped in front of it, he put Sora down on her feet and unlocked the door.

She was leaning against the wall when she declared, "I'd give up my crown if it meant being with ya."

His eyes set on her as he paused in helping her inside.

"I love you," she said, her voice completely clear for the first time since he had picked her up. "You know that, right?"

He fixed her tiara and then kissed her on the cheek.

"I know," he quietly replied.

SL

Her senses were off when she woke up the next day.

She groaned and tried to roll over, but something was taking up a lot of room on the mattress. Blindly, her hand felt to the side of her and her eyes shot open upon feeling a solid mass next to her.

Her head turned and saw Leon in a sleeping bag.

"What the…"

Calmly, Leon replied without opening his eyes. "You asked for a royal sleepover," he drawled, "but when I tried putting the sleeping bag on the ground, you got upset, saying something along the lines that I'd be sleeping with the floor instead of with you."

Naïve about a lot of things, even Sora knew what her slip of the tongue must have sounded like to Leon last night. She groaned again, but this time in embarrassment.

"Alcohol's really weird!" she bemoaned.

"You have a low tolerance, I would say," he dryly assessed.

SL

SL

SL

AN: This one is a funny chapter that still fits with the story. :P

In case I haven't posted it here, I've created a Kaleido Star forum called "KS Think Tank!" with the purpose of getting people to look and bat around story ideas for the fandom. :)


	29. Chapter 29

AN: I'm glad other people thought drunk/buzzed Sora would be funny to read. XD

SL

SL

SL

Their winter break was allowed after the New Year.

The New Year's Eve show was a mixture of many special maneuvers and tricks. A variation of May's Demon Spiral was incorporated with Leon catching her and then tossing May over to Rosetta. Both then did a routine they had been tinkering with in their spare time, involving quick spins with the diabolos while on a tightrope.

Anna and her team were given a slot for a gag performance and Marion featured on the trampoline along with some other rising trampoline performers.

The show ended with a silk act between Leon and Sora. While more subdued in action, the twisting and smooth motions made for a heartfelt performance. Sora's face had been a little flushed during some of the movements, especially when he was wrapped in the silk with her.

After finding Leon sleeping on her bed, she was quick to blush when they were in contact with each other. Granted, things could have been even more awkward if he had been under the covers with her instead of in a sleeping bag, but still…

The voice of the plane's pilot sounded over the speakers.

She snapped out of it, re-buckling her seatbelt.

Leon looked over at her and did the same, not knowing what the pilot had said. Soon, though, the pilot repeated his earlier statement in English.

"We will be descending shortly. Please refasten your seatbelts…"

SL

Leon looked around his fiancée's home country with veiled curiosity.

Sora was in the process of paying the cab, so he took the time to take in his surroundings. A few people passed him by, his tall frame and long silver hair catching their eyes. He was not perturbed by it, having realized that his features stood out like a beacon in most crowds.

Some teens were exiting the apartment complex that he had been taking in. He slowly blinked as a few excitedly spoke to one another and then approached him. By the inflection, he could tell he was being asked a question, but for the life of him he didn't know what about.

Luckily, Sora came up to stand beside him.

SL

Sora grinned at the look he was giving her.

The lost look was nearly enough to make her laugh, but she refrained. After all, she knew what it was like to be in another country and not know a word of the language.

_And yet I'm engaged to a Frenchman. _

In all her life before meeting him, she couldn't say that she had considered that occurring. She had realized that, by moving to America she'd encounter other races, but she hadn't really thought about actually getting married outside of her ethnicity or to someone that wasn't American.

Not that she was regretting her decision. It was just something she had not thought about in depth.

"They're asking if they can take a picture with you."

By the arch of his brow, she got his confusion.

"I don't know why. Let me ask."

SL

He watched Sora's facial expressions change as she spoke to the young teens.

She looked at his face and her eyes traveled his form. In any other situation, he'd preen at the attention, however, not knowing the context of the conversation made him very curious.

Then, she let out peals of laughter.

Now he really was confused.

SL

Sora continued to giggle as she led him up the staircase to her old home.

"Sephiroth," she snickered with a shake of her head.

"Are you going to explain the reference?" he dryly intoned.

"I told you," she said with underlining laughter in her voice, "he's a character from a video game series. I'll have to show you a picture in order for you to really get it."

He sighed. She giggled again.

SL

When the front door of the Naegino apartment opened, there was a flurry of excited words and hugging between the older woman and Sora. He heard his name in the middle of the Japanese and then the attention was on him.

"Welcome, Oswald-san."

He inclined his head, recalling what Sora said about formalities.

The older woman smiled and then stepped aside, allowing the couple inside. "My husband is in the living room. Sora-chan," his fiancée turned back to her aunt before she could go to her uncle on the couch with Yume.

The aunt said a few words in Japanese and Sora chirruped something back, heading to her old room—now Yume's—in order to put her luggage down.

Leon, now fully inside and closing the door behind him, had been looking at the interior when her aunt addressed him again.

"Oswald-san, we only have two room, so we thought that you can share a room with my husband." She gave a little bow of her head. "I apologize for the lack of accommodations, but we did not think you would like to sleep in the living room. However, you are allowed that option should you feel more comfortable with that."

"Do not worry, Oswald-san," came a new voice. Leon turned to face the head of the house with a toddler clinging onto a pant leg as he walked. "We are not easily offended. Take whichever you are comfortable with."

Leon considered the options and the duration of their stay.

"The living room is fine," he said with a returned bow.

SL

Dinner was an interesting affair.

Yume sat next to her mother and then Sora on the other side on a booster chair. Leon was across from Sora's father as they ate. The seafood was delicious and Leon had commented so, earning a shy laugh from the mother as she brushed it off good humoredly.

There wasn't much talking done, except for Yume's fragmented sentences every now and then.

Leon felt out of place.

He couldn't recall the last time he was a part of a family dinner. From his memories, there was a faint recollection of a meal with his family, but it was largely overshadowed by his time spent with the relatives. They had been reluctant to take Sophie and him in, so there was not the same bonding experience that occurred with Sora and her relatives.

His eyes slid over to Sora and her mother as the older woman smiled. Sora caught her mother looking at her, asked something to which her mother replied with the extension of her hand towards Sora.

He was amused to see her cheeks dust with some red.

Sora brought her left hand over to her mother and the older woman fawned over the engagement ring, a big smile on her face as well as a bit of nostalgia in her eyes.

Leon did not see any more for Sora's father addressed him.

SL

Atsushi would not consider himself a strict man.

He was still learning how to be a father and he knew that he probably made some mistakes along the way. Between Midori and himself, they did the best they could and he was proud to call Sora his daughter.

However, when it came to some of the decisions his daughter made he was worried about her.

It wasn't that he didn't trust _her_ but more that he didn't trust the _environment_ that she was placing herself in. An excellent example would be Sora's decision to be an acrobat in America.

That one had him worrying himself to exhaustion.

He supposed it was the fear of losing her in a foreign land that had him questioning her decision. He had gone to America twice to convince her to come back, the second time with a heavily pregnant Midori. The second trip was, perhaps, rather reckless considering the state his wife had been in. However, he couldn't dissuade her to stay. Sora was her daughter, after all.

She had every right to be just as worried about Sora as he was.

Right now though, he had the feeling that he was more worried about her engagement than Midori, especially with her prompting Sora to tell her about the preparations for the wedding thus far.

He guessed that Midori was more comfortable with it because she had longer talks with Sora.

"Sora-chan told us you are from France, is that correct?"

Leon nodded politely. "I am."

Atsushi nodded as well, trying to find the wording for the questions that needed to be addressed. "Do you plan on returning there in the future?"

Sora had turned her head earlier but Atsushi ignored her staring. Though, he did noticed that she had opened her mouth to say something, but Midori had called her attention with a squeeze of her hand and discretely shook her head at Sora, silently telling her to let her father ask what he wanted to.

"Perhaps visiting, but not as a permanent living residence," Leon said before taking a sip of his cup.

"If your engagement holds and the wedding takes place, where will you two live? Would you move to France if Sora-chan wanted to?" Atsushi folded his hands on the table. "I admit to being curious to your certainty of not returning to your home country. From what I can tell, you two are internationally famous. Surely it would be better for you to live there where it is easier to travel to multiple countries than in America."

He could see that Leon was mulling over the facets of his question and statement. It was good that the man appeared to not answer too readily when it truly counted.

Though, whether the answer would be fruitful was another thing entirely.

"I do not think Sora would want to live in France."

That statement caught Atsushi attention. "Why do you think so?"

Leon leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. Atsushi was on guard with the position, but waited to hear his answer. He caught the faintest impression of a smile on the Frenchman's face; he wondered what Leon thought was humorous.

"She has trouble with the language," Leon smoothly intoned.

That brought a laugh from Midori, an indignant exclamation from Sora and an amused shake of Atsushi's head.

Yume continued to gnaw on a hand roll.

SL

Her parents went to bed, taking Yume with them.

Sora went to the living room where Leon was unfolding the spare futon. She crouched over him and wrapped her arms around him, causing him to pause in his task.

"Hey you charmer."

He looked at her ducky pajamas and softly scoffed. "Hardly."

"You're doing well," she said with a bump of their noses. "Dad's just a bit of a worrier, especially after I decided to move to America. Don't take it personally."

He straightened up from his crouch and sat back on his knees, Sora's form moving along with him. "So you're the one to blame for my trials," he dryly stated.

She nipped his nose. "The questioning isn't over yet; you still have mom."

"I think some compensation is in order, then," he murmured low enough for only her to hear. With a wicked smirk he added, "Another royal sleepover, perhaps? I'll be sure to not sleep with the floor."

Her face grew red. "You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"Never," he promised, stealing a kiss from her.

She had wanted to scold him for his teasing, but she was quick to decide that she wanted a kiss instead. Her hands cupped his face and he slanted his mouth over hers, deepening the kiss and making her eyes half close. His hands had slipped under her pajama top to feel her skin; she mewled as his warm fingers sent shivers along her body.

Her hands soon grasped his, stopping his exploration of her lower back and stomach. "Don't do that around Dad," she murmured against his lips, "he won't hesitate to kick you out, fiancée or not."

"Then don't tempt me," he said before brushing the tip of his tongue along her bottom lip.

"I didn't start it," she breathed out.

"Your reactions goad me," he rumbled.

Her hands returned around his face as she gave him a long kiss. He exhaled through his nose, nearly pulling her head back when she broke off the kiss, but he didn't feel like pushing the boundaries of her father's hospitality should the man happen to come out for something and see Leon's hands touching the skin of his daughter's back.

"Good night," she said, her thumbs rubbing his jawline.

"Good night."

She smiled and then went back to Yume's room.

SL

SL

SL

AN: Oh meeting the parents-and Yume. If you're havin' a wedding, it would probably be nice to get a feel of the family you're entering into. :P

It's here, Mynameiseverchanging. Though, you beat me to it! :P


	30. Chapter 30

AN: This story is still going, along with _Movement_, _Insidious, and Hidden Colors_. I'm not sure how frequently these stories will be updated given the projects I have to do, but I have not abandoned any of them. Some days I can get in a few chapters, others I do not have time. :/

Thanks for reading!

SL

SL

SL

The crisp January air had Leon putting on his scarf along with his coat. Sora's father did the same and then they left the apartment together, with Atsushi walking slightly ahead of Leon.

For the past four mornings, Leon joined the older man in his walk to the train station.

While the couple had vacation, Atsushi had work to go to. Most of the walk was silent, though, her father would talk or ask something of Leon and he would respond back.

The initial hesitance from Atsushi seemed to have dwindled considerably.

Leon was glad of it, not wanting to be at odds with her family members especially with the head of the family. He and Sora have been visiting for almost a week now. A few days included a short tour of Sora's old school and a few of her old hang outs. One stop had been to Manami's hair salon and upon seeing Leon's hair the young woman had been eager to do something with it.

Sora had intervened with a nervous laugh.

The tours and getting to know the Naegino family were nice, but there were things to be done before Leon returned to the apartment.

Before arriving in Japan, Sora and Leon had discussed the matter of the actual wedding ceremony. Technically, they only had to fill out some paperwork and have a few people there as witnesses, but there were some traditions from both of their cultures that they had decided on having.

Though from Leon's side, it had not mattered to him if they went more with her culture's traditions, however, his bride to be thought it would be nice to have at least a few from his side.

And so, they were going to have a French-Japanese wedding.

He still wasn't so certain how it was going to come out, but as long as she was happy with it he didn't see any problems with it. Before Sora left with her mother and Yume, she told Leon that while she was getting something for the wedding with her mother, he could ask her father for some advice on blending their customs.

Leon had asked and was now waiting for a response.

"In traditional Japanese weddings," Atsushi started, having been silent as he thought about Leon's request, "many of the things done are based in the Shinto belief or an old tradition of the samurai." With a half-smile the older man added, "But nowadays there are several aspects that are incorporated without needing to be Shinto or Japanese."

Leon took that information in, not quite sure if her father said that with nostalgia or acceptance. Instead of reiterating his question Leon waited for the rest of the answer. He noticed that the older man liked to take his time with his answers so there was no need to rush him.

"The _San-san-kudo,_" Atsushi finally decided on, "the symbolism of that custom would be very meaningful." The man's brown eye looked at Leon momentarily. "I can explain it better when I return."

Leon nodded his thanks.

Atsushi smiled and nodded back. He was getting used to the fact that Leon was not much of a talker. He thought it was humorous, knowing how Sora is, that such a silent man was drawn to her and she was drawn to him. _It will be interesting to see how he deals with my daughter_. Sora was very much the social butterfly.

He chuckled softly under his breath.

SL

While Leon was with her father doing some more 'male bonding,' Sora and Yume went out with their mother. The toddler had grabbed both of their hands as they walked towards the nearest shrine.

Sora had expressed doing a _hatsumode_ even though it was no longer the first week of the New Year. Because of the huge celebrations of New Year in Japan, she and Leon had not been able to book a flight until after most of the New Year's festivities.

_It's too bad Leon wasn't able to see them_, she wistfully thought.

Maybe some other year…

"Sora-chan," her mother asked as she kept an eye on Yume as they went up the stairs of the shrine, "You said that there was something you wanted to do after this visit. Where do you want to go without Leon-san?"

Sora smiled at the use of his first name. _I'm sure him helping with dinner that one night won her over._ And he said he wasn't charming. _Soon enough, there'd be a –kun at the end of his name, maybe even –chan. _

Her smile widened at the thought of him being called 'Leon-chan.'

_Probably not._

She managed to cover over her laugh with a clearing of her throat. With her answer to her mother's question in her mind, her humor abated.

When she first came to the United States for the tryouts a little over five years ago, she had a visa and then a work permit once she was on contract with the Kaleido Stage. After all, it didn't make sense for her to file for citizenship if she wasn't sure she'd continue living there. While the United States allowed for dual citizenship, Japan didn't.

She didn't want to be hasty in forfeiting her rights as a Japanese national.

After her second return to the stage, she had decided that she was going to stay in the United States. It was a decision done in affirmation and her resolve to create her dream stage in Cape Mary. There would be no turning back and she was determined to succeed so there would be no regrets. She had called her parents to let them know of her decision, not wanting them to feel that she was abandoning her heritage but to have them understand how strongly she felt about her dream.

Leon didn't have that problem; France allowed for a dual citizenship. Though, knowing that he wasn't very attached to his home country-stemming from the tragedy and harsh experiences he went through while living in France-she doubted it would have been an issue for him to drop his French citizenship.

For her though, it hadn't been a light matter.

Now, she visited her home country as a guest. It made her sad sometimes, but she knew that it was just a matter of paperwork.

"I've been thinking about my wedding gown," Sora started with a small smile, "and I think I'd like to have a bridal _kimono_ for the ceremony."

Those words filled Midori with joy and the motherly pangs of seeing her child grown up. With fondness, she recalled the times when Sora would sneak into her closet and alternate between putting on her festival _yukata_ and one of her _kimono_.

Back then, it had been dressing up.

Now it was a necessity.

Midori put a hand along Sora's cheek. "We'll have to find you a nice one."

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The females met Leon back at the apartment.

Midori greeted him as he opened the door for them and Yume's head slowly looked up at him and then followed her mother inside. He noted that the toddler tended to do that. M_y height might be strange to her_. His presence in general, if he thought about it more.

He inwardly shrugged.

Sora pecked him on the cheek. "_Ohayou,_" she started but then she paused for a few seconds, her eyes glinting as she added with some mirth, "Leon-chan."

He recognized the greeting '_Ohayou_,' but the last part…

"Leon-chan?"

He quirked a brow when his fiancée giggled instead of explaining the addition of –chan to his name. He heard her parents call her –chan, but –san was the only suffix that was added to his name. _A pet name, is it? _The corner of his mouth twitched in the beginnings of a smirk.

Two can play that game.

He stepped out into the hallway and quietly closed the door. Sora's giggles cut off as he walked into her personal space.

"_Bonjour_," he murmured, and then he leaned incredibly close making sure to purr out the last part, "_ma bichette._"

Her brown eyes widened and her cheeks were red as his fingers grazed the side of her face. _He could be calling me a fat cow and I wouldn't know_. French was her weakness in so many ways…

"I'm going to look up what you just said."

He gave her a languid smile. "Please do."

Her lips pursed and she turned the handle of the front door. Leon followed her inside, finally noticing the rather bulky shopping bag in her hand. _Come to think of it, her mother had a bag as well._

"What did you buy?"

Sora bent over to pick up the bag her mother left on the couch and continued to Yume's room—her temporary room during their stay there.

"It's a surprise," she sang out, "so no peeking!"

He nearly rolled his eyes. If anyone had a problem with peeking, it was her.

Leon heard her mother call out from the kitchen. Sora backtracked to hear the Japanese words. She blinked a few times, but then said, "_Hai._"

He knew that word by now. "You agreed to show me the purchase."

"No Mr. Nosy," she teased and then stuck out her tongue at him, "not everything's about you."

Her mother laughed upon hearing that. _If she only knew what else I bought her, she wouldn't have said that. _Mother she may be, but she was a bride once.

Midori secretly smiled as she cut up the vegetables for lunch.

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Sora closed her room door and put the bags on the bed.

_"Don't open the white box until your bridal shower," Midori said._

She was pulling out the white box, noting how light it felt, taking in the fact that it was as long as her arm, but not that wide. _What's in here?_ It had to be something from the department store. That was the only place they went.

A bit of giddiness filled her.

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Leon was watching over Yume in the living room when Midori called out to him.

"Leon-san, would you retrieve Sora-chan before she peeks at her gift?"

He didn't question the request.

Midori hummed as she heard his steps across the room. A door opened and she could hear her daughter squeak. She shook her head as Sora's guilty voice tried covering up what she was doing.

Suddenly, the young woman "oomphed" and Leon's steps returned. Curious to what had happened Midori turned her head towards the kitchen opening.

She looked in time to see Sora hanging over Leon's shoulder.

"There was too much wrapping paper to see," Sora grouched.

They walked out of Midori's view as they continued to the living room, but she could hear the soft scoff of Leon. Soon, Yume let out shrill laughter probably caused by seeing her sister being carried over in that manner.

"_Arigato, _Leon-san!" Midori said.

There was silence for a few moments and then, "_Dou itashimashite."_

Midori blinked. _He's catching on pretty fast._ Granted, it had not been said smoothly and his pronunciation needed some work, but all things considered, it was not bad at all.

Her grandkids were going to be incredible little acrobats with English, French, and Japanese speaking skills. _Oh and then just picture their looks…! _She was grinning as her imagination ran wild.

The future seemed _very_ promising.

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AN: Oh Midori, you just want grandmother boasting rights. XD

I decided to give Sora's uncle/ foster father the name Atsushi because it means "compassionate warrior." It matched with my image of him as a gentle guy, but protective of his family.

Translations (from internet. :P):

_Hatsumode_: the first visiting of a shrine/temple of the New Year in Japan.

_San-san-kudo_: I will be covering some of this later.

_Ohayou: _informal hello. Like "hey."

_Hai: _yes (among other meanings)

_Arigato_: informal thanks

_Dou itashimashite: _You're welcome

_Bonjour:_ Used for hello, good morning, or good afternoon.

_Ma bichette: _My little doe. (pet name :P)


	31. Chapter 31

AN: Short chapter, but I need to wrap up the Japan visit.

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They were still in Japan for a few more days.

Leon was an early riser, but that particular morning, he felt like sleeping in a little longer than usual. He shifted on the futon and was dozing on his back when he heard the light pattering of feet. The sound was towards the bathroom, so he did not think much of it.

He fell back asleep.

The next thing he was aware of was something being placed on his chest. His eyes opened and looked at the strange green and purple toy with its huge eyes staring at him. A pink elephant was placed next to the strange creature.

He now had two animals staring down at him.

"_Mami_," came Yume's young voice.

She sat comfortably next to his prone figure still wearing her purple and yellow pjs and her caramel hair in twin pigtails. He blinked at the toddler's small finger pointing at the green and purple toy. It looked to be a cross between a horse and some sort of insect, given its ridiculously large eyes.

"_Mami,_" she repeated with more emphasis.

"Mami," Leon said.

She nodded very enthusiastically.

"_Aimi._" Her pudgy figure pointed at the pink elephant.

"Eye-mee_._"

"_Aimi_," she repeated, correcting Leon's pronunciation.

"…Aimi."

She squealed in excitement. When she took the toys off of him, he made to sit up, having thought that she just wanted to introduce him to her two toys.

Leon blinked as three other toys were replaced.

He inwardly sighed and leaned his head back on the pillow, patiently waiting for the names of these three toys. _She couldn't possibly have carried more than this._ He looked around the little girl and his eyes widened upon seeing a whole crowd of stuffed animals sitting on the couch.

_How did I not hear her approach?_

"_Chou_" Yume picked up the blue and yellow butterfly and made it flap its wings by moving it up and down. The toy crash landed into the other two on his chest.

"Yume-chan!"

The little girl looked up and saw her mother covering her mouth upon seeing the toys on Leon. The older woman was torn between laughing and gaping at the embarrassing situation her little girl placed their guest in.

"I apologize, Leon-san," Midori said as she grabbed the toys off of him and then grabbed the girl's hand.

"It was nothing," he murmured, picking up the butterfly that had fallen off on his other side. He sat up and held the toy up for Yume to grab. "_Chou_."

Yume nodded with a big grin. "_Chou!_"

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	32. Chapter 32

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Sora hugged her mother and Yume as Leon shook hands with her father.

"Call anytime, Sora-chan and Leon-san."

Leon looked over upon hearing his name. He gave a nod, but then felt a sharp tug of his hair. He looked down to see a lock of his hair in Yume's small fist.

She said 'bye' in Japanese, but he did not understand the other word she said. Whatever it was, it made Sora smile and Midori put a hand over her heart.

He repeated the 'bye.' The girl smiled and then let go of his hair.

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They sat on the plane ride back to America.

Sora had taken off her seat belt and pushed the armrest out of the way so she could lean against Leon. She rested her head on his shoulder as she perused the travel magazine in his hands. _He's been staring at the same page for a while now._ Considering that she knew him to be a fast reader, it was rather strange that he had yet to turn the page.

"What did Yume say to me?"

She smiled. "I was wondering when you'd ask."

He turned to look at her face. Her smile grew.

"She called you 'big brother.'"

Her smile waned a little upon feeling him tense up. Her heart clenched when she realized what the issue was. _Shimatta. Why don't I ever think about these things before saying them? _She wasn't sure if he would want to be called 'big brother' anymore…

"Leon, if you're not comfortable with her calling you that, I can—"

"It's fine," he murmured.

She saw the swallow he did. Leon rarely swallowed hard because of an emotion. _I'm not convinced that it is fine._ But what was she to do, aside getting Yume to not call him that? The hurt had been done and she wasn't certain if she should carry on with the topic.

He closed the magazine and placed it back in the pocket of the seat in front of him. When he leaned back onto his seat, Sora stayed kneeling on the seat next to him.

Her hand rested on the side of his face. "It's ok if you're not comfortable."

He looked up at her sympathetic doe eyes.

Pity often rubbed him the wrong way, especially actions done out of a sterile sense of obligation. That's why he had been so glad to leave his relative's house and stay with Alen despite his harsh training. Physical obstacles are easier to deal with.

Emotional, on the other hand…

He wasn't quite certain he knew how to deal with those yet.

Her sympathy right now seemed different than pity, somehow. It could be because she spoke out of an understanding of himself or because she actually cared what he was going through. Either option prevented any bristling of his ego.

"Perhaps later on, she could," he started quietly, "but right now…"

He swallowed again. _I can't even say it myself._ He wasn't sure how he was going to fit into this new situation. Not for the first time, he felt out of place within her family and they weren't even there presently.

"Of course," she softly spoke.

She settled herself back against him with her arm looped through his and her head back on his shoulder. She brought one of his hands up to her lips and kissed the back of it.

"Take all the time you want."

She felt his fingers twitch in her hand. She threaded their fingers together and placed their hands back down. A few moments later, he rested the side of his face against the top of her head.

He let out a weary sigh. She gave his hand a squeeze.

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AN: I had actually started this out with the idea that it would be cute if Yume called Leon Big Brother. But then as I was typing, I realized that he might not be ready to be called that again, especially since he hadn't expected to be given that title ever again. ; _ ;


	33. Chapter 33

Edit: Ok, I don't know what's up with my document manager not saving the text for my chapters! It gives me the word count but the chapter wasn't there when I looked. :/

Sorry about this not appearing earlier!

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It was a little after 6 in the morning when Leon woke up.

He tiredly rubbed his face.

He hadn't been in the best of moods as of late, but he tried not to let it show during practice or around Sora. There wasn't much to be done about it; he simply resigned himself to waiting it out.

With that, he got out of bed and did his morning routine of showering, brushing his long mane of hair, and then went into the kitchen to turn on his coffeemaker.

Once the machine was on, he left his apartment to pick up the mail.

The elderly couple that lived a few places down were shuffling over to the elevator while he went down the stairwell. The 20 something year old jogger with her short shorts and cut off tank top started going up the stairs when she saw him going down. She backtracked a little to greet him and then asked him if he was sure he didn't want to grab coffee one of these days.

She didn't believe him about being engaged.

Apparently, he just didn't seem the type to be married in his twenties. The statement had him annoyed at her audacity to assume what he was like. Some days he didn't feel like a 24 year old; he experienced and lived through many things that had aged him sooner than he should have been.

But he is as he is.

He was fine with it; Sora was more than accepting of it.

He addressed the jogger's coffee question in a flat tone that he was sure. She lightly frowned but then shook it off as she continued up the steps. He didn't see, but she made sure that her hips swayed and her long ponytail playfully swung in the off chance that he was looking.

He wasn't so he hadn't known what she was doing.

Finally making his way over to the wall with the mail box cubbies, Leon found his and unlocked it. A few envelopes were inside as well as his subscription magazine. He took them out and then locked the cubby.

When he made it back into his apartment he kicked off his shoes and then went into the kitchen to sort out his mail. The magazine was placed down on the table; he flipped through the envelopes.

_Bill, bill…_ Those went on top of the magazine.

_Advertisement…_ That went in a new pile for trashing.

His hand stilled on the last envelope. He frowned at the handwritten address and scoffed upon seeing the sender. _Another letter. _He had a feeling that the contents of the letter will be similar to the last; he was getting irritated with this situation.

The coffeemaker beeped; he went to fix a cup.

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Sora waited for Leon to show in the main stage.

They were finally at the level of fencing where he was comfortable with practicing without the protective gear now. Seeing as during the performance they will be fencing without the gear it was important that she adjusted to fighting without the padding.

While Sora's character Esperanza wasn't an enemy of Zorro, she did have a fight scene against him. Unbeknownst to Esperanza, her brother was a corrupt politician; so when she happens upon Zorro stealing some vital papers from her brother's vault, she engages him in a sword fight.

Later Esperanza learns the truth and fights alongside Zorro but until then…

She has mixed feelings for the Don Diego de la Vega and a sort of infatuation with the masked vigilante called Zorro—though the two men are actually one in the same.

_Mia loves her drama._

Sora just hoped she could pull off Mia's vision.

The doors to the main stage opened. Sora turned to see Leon walking down the aisle.

She smiled and was about to call out a greeting to him when she noticed the sour expression on his face. It was only the slightest downturn of his mouth with his lips pressed in a thinner line than usual, but she was around him often enough to have caught the look before he smoothed his face over.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine," came his toneless response.

She blinked at him, wanting to push the subject but she hesitated. It wasn't that long ago when the 'big brother' issue with Yume occurred; she didn't think she should push too many sensitive topics around the same time.

"…They got the tightropes up and the long, swinging platform for us to practice on."

He nodded at the information. Then, he shrugged out of his coat and started to stretch out.

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	34. Chapter 34

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They've been practicing for about three hours now.

Thanks to her past experiences with balancing on moving platforms, Sora was adjusting to the long, moving platform they were fencing on. Though, she still slipped and lost her fencing posture.

Keeping the fencing forms was the difficult part.

Her practice sword connected with Leon's. His eyes seemed to focus more with her action and he put enough pressure in his push to get her to step back a few. She stumbled back with little grace, eliciting a squeak as she tried to find her balance.

He was pensive again.

The letter made it clear that he could not let things go unsettled. The issue was going on longer than it should have because they were not face to face. He sighed.

_It appears that I may have to go for a while..._

Sora's foam sword came back near his head; he reacted out of instinct, parrying the attack with a swift side slash. She stumbled again, but did not find her balance.

His eyes widened as she started to go over the side.

He quickly darted to her and grabbed the back of her shirt before she fell, all the while berating himself for putting too much force in his swing when they were so close to the side. The tug to the back of her shirt made her body suddenly fall backwards, keeping her on the platform but making her land on her tush.

"Oomph!" She winced a little at the stinging of her tailbone.

"Are you uninjured?"

"Yeah," she said, taking his pro-offered hand to help her stand up. "It was just a sudden fall is all."

He was quiet again and then his hand fell back to his side. "We're done for today."

She had been retrieving her practice sword when he made that announcement. Sword now in hand, she straightened up and looked him over with a slight frown on her face. She thought they would go for a long session today.

"Are you sure? I don't mind going a little longer."

He nodded solemnly. _If I cannot fully focus, it would not be wise to continue. _In the beginning of their practice he had been able to push the matter aside, but as they went on, thoughts about the letter started surfacing.

He could potentially injure her in his distracted mentally.

And that would not be acceptable.

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After getting off of the platform and turning the rocking feature off, they headed out.

They split off momentarily to their respective locker rooms and then met again so they could have lunch together. Sora, now in black shorts and a nice lavender top with a light jacket on, stood outside of the practice building to wait for Leon.

She idly turned her engagement ring from side to side as she thought.

_He's got something on his mind._ She could tell by the unfocused look of his eyes. His gaze, when focused, was more clear and sharp. It had the ability to send little thrills down her spine just with a fleeting eye connection. Those grey eyes held so much power in them, but at the same time they were a vulnerable aspect of himself.

His eyes spoke when his mouth would not.

Unfortunately, the mouth tended to stay shut for long periods of time.

She huffed to herself. _Stubborn man._ Maybe she couldn't relate to all of his experiences, but she knew that sometimes just a listening ear made the issue not as daunting.

The door to the building opened.

Leon strode over in a dark blue button up shirt and some slacks. She couldn't help but think how far he's come in opening up, even to the point that he was actually wearing some color outside of their dates and around the stage. He wore black for the longest of times, she wondered if it had been some sort of mood correlation.

Not that he didn't look good in black.

He was practically a male model with his designer clothes. She shook her head at that thought. While she thought he looked suave, she preferred his more casual outfits.

It told her that he was truly seeing the Kaleido Stage as his home.

He didn't feel the need to be so rigid in his appearance. There was now a more relaxed air about him, though he was a bit tense now because of whatever was currently plaguing his mind. Even with that stress, however, he was still dressing with some color.

He stopped in front of her. "Are you ready to go?"

In the middle of answering, she let out a goofy smile at a thought she just had. "Yes, but I think we need a change of location."

With that, she grabbed his hand and led him off the property.

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AN: Oh Sora where are you taking him? :P

Thank you for the reviews and for reading! :D Sorry if it seems kind of slow. I know what I want to get to, but I don't want it to seem so sudden. XP


	35. Chapter 35

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Sora took him to the shops along the beach.

The gulls cried and the salty breeze tussled their hair. Over the years, Sora's let her hair grow a little past mid back. She recently got layers thanks to her salon friend in Japan, but it was still longer than what it was when he first met her. Right now he watched a few red strands flutter behind her as she led him to who knew where.

Judging by the seafood and smoothie places they were passing, he assumed it would be food related.

She stopped suddenly.

He looked away from her hair and took in the small shop they were in front of. Through the window, he saw a few tables but there were mainly stools around the main counter in the middle of the shop. He quirked a brow at the three scoops of rocky road a kid had as he walked out of the shop with his mother.

"An ice cream parlor?"

Ever since she found the place a few years ago, this has been her favorite place to come and relax when she needed a temporary break from the stage. As much as she loved to perform she couldn't deny that there had been some rather intense drama a few years back.

She stole a glance at her fiancee.

The ice cream place had been a nice refuge from that.

But she wasn't going to tell him that. There really was no need to state that since they've moved passed that drama. Besides, there was something she wanted to get with Leon here...

"Do you want to share a sundae?"

There was a bit of bashfulness playing along the corners of her mouth and slightly colored her cheeks. Even if he hadn't noticed those, her endearing shyness was evident in the way she swung their joined hands as she waited for his response.

Given all that, how could he refuse?

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It was Mia's fault that Sora wanted to do this.

The romantic scriptwriter showed the redhead an old movie set in the time when couples went to "mom and pop" diners or soda parlors, the girls wore their guy's school sweaters, class ring or pin, and they were classified as "going steady." It was definitely an earlier form of dating in America, but there was something sweet in it that got a hold of Sora.

As they sat side by side with their stools close together and the old shop keeper placed their rather large banana and strawberry sundae with caramel syrup, chopped peanuts, light whipped cream and a bright red cherry on top, Sora felt her cheeks redden when the older man handed them their spoons with a grin.

"Enjoy kiddos!"

She hoped Leon didn't take offence.

To her relief, Leon merely nodded his head. _Oh good._

With a smile she took a spoonful of vanilla ice cream and some caramel and ate it with relish. In the movie, the main characters shared a milkshake with both of them sipping from their own straws, but she thought that would have been too sappy to do.

A sundae seemed a bit better.

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Halfway through their treat, Leon's shoulders loosened.

The cherry slid down the vanilla slope and went into the caramel. Sora's spoon went to retrieve it when Leon's spoon suddenly came in and swooped it out of the caramel. With a playful narrowing of her eyes, she used her spoon to knock the cherry off of his.

He quirked a brow. She raised a brow back.

Their cherry fight began.

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After seeing how beaten up the little cherry was, Sora spoke up with a giggle.

"Time out. Let's just split it."

Leon gave a slow blink as he thought about it.

She let out a dramatic gasp when he simply scooped the whole cherry onto his spoon. "You don't play fair!" She half whined.

He raised the spoon towards her. "Who said I was taking it for myself?"

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They left the parlor and went to walk on the sand.

Leon kept his shoes on, but Sora had hers in one hand as she wrapped her other arm around his waist. He felt better after the unexpected ice cream trip, however, he knew that he was going to have to address the letter to her.

It was his turn to lead her somewhere.

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She was tucked under his arm as they sat on some large rocks on the beach.

The ocean waves came and then went in an endless cycle. The visual was hypnotic and she could not pull her gaze from it.

"I need to go to France for a while," Leon quietly said.

That quickly got her attention. Many questions were on the tip of her tongue, but she decided to give him a chance to address them gradually rather than bombard him with multiple inquiries all at once. He didn't respond positively with that sort of treatment, though she doubted anyone really did.

"For how long?" she finally settled on.

"Perhaps a week or two," he murmured. "Though I honestly do not know how long it will take."

She nodded at that, but otherwise did not say anything. For a long while the only sounds were the light roaring of the waves as the came to the shore and the splashes of water as some teens entered the cold water further down the beach.

"Will you not ask me what for?"

She turned her attention back to him. "Are you comfortable telling me?"

"...Yes and no," was his enigmatic response, "but know that I go in the interest of our future together."

Her arm around his torso gave a squeeze. "Ok."

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	36. Chapter 36

AN: Sorry, I had a few ways this story can go and was conflicted about which one to do. I've decided now, so let's see how this goes. :P

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Leon blankly stared out the window of his taxi.

The streets of his home country were pretty much the same, except for a few paint jobs of some houses and new road signs. As he looked at the pole with the multiple signs, he softly scoffed and shook his head.

He couldn't imagine Sora trying to navigate her way around France.

The taxi rolled to a stop in front of a familiar beige and white house with white roses neatly trimmed in the front. Not for the first time, he thought it was strange that his relatives' house was so bland - the whole street really - even though they lived in France, a country that was depicted as the place of fashion and chic design.

Leon knew that not everyone was that way, but it still made him wonder.

He paid the taxi and then opened his door. He shouldered his laptop bag and then pulled out his one piece of luggage. He packed light in order to make sure his stay was short, though he could also claim that his work required him to return to Cape Mary.

The taxi drove off. He stayed standing for a while, his feet at the beginning of the short steps leading to the front door. He felt strange as he recalled being in a similar situation several years ago when his relatives contacted him a year after Sophie's death.

He looked at the white roses and he was drawn further into the past, his boyish figure standing with little Sophie by the same steps and looking at the same white roses. Sophie had grabbed his arm in a moment of uncertainity and homesickness, what with their parents funeral only having been that morning. They were going to live with obscure relatives on their mother's side - he couldn't recall having met them except for a few days ago.

_"We'll be fine," he had told Sophie, but he felt like he had been trying to convince himself of that too..._

A bird screeched somewhere, drawing Leon back to the present. He frowned a little from his recollections. _I always seem to hesitate by these three steps. _Coming here usually meant trouble; perhaps that is why he was reluctant to proceed.

His hand reached into his pocket, finding the good luck charm Sora had given him at the airport. He pulled it out, looking at the stitch-work of the cherry blossom petals and the white knot at the top for hanging. He didn't know how she knew what he needed, but he was grateful all the same.

He slipped the charm back in his pocket when he felt like he could move again.

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	37. Chapter 37

AN: Here's another installment! :D

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The maid let Leon in, which was no surprise.

However, instead of showing him to the guest room he was asked to follow her into the sitting room. He left his suitcase by the door, thinking that it would be ridiculous for him to be lugging it all over the house though he did keep his shoulder bag with him.

His eyes roamed the walls, spotting photos that had not been there the last time he came some five or six years ago. _Probably some nieces or godchildren. _His eye twitched when he noted a photo of Sophie and himself with their robust cousin.

That was definitely an addition.

He softly scoffed under his breath. While he and Sophie lived here, they were pretty much ignored. The photo being up rubbed him the wrong way.

Just before passing the entryway to the sitting room, Leon's eyes lingered on an older photo - as was apparent by the black and white image as well as the edges being eaten away by time - but it wasn't too old for the little girl in the picture had clothing that seemed to be fairly modern.

The smile seemed familiar but he couldn't place from where.

"Monsieur Oswald," the maid called out by the entryway.

Leon turned away from the photo and walked into the sitting room. A young man around his age with short, light brown hair was sitting down on a plush couch. His dress shirt fit him a little tight as was apparent by the way the buttons near the belly looked like they might pop off. But Leon did notice that his cousin had lost a considerable amount of weight. Sadly, the shirt wasn't doing his cousin any favors.

Upon seeing Leon, the young man stood up and put on a smile.

Leon quirked a brow but did not comment.

"Welcome back, Cousin Leon."

Leon nodded to that though he doubted he was truly welcomed. When Sophie and him lived here, the cousins pretty much stayed out of each other's way. He supposed it was mainly due to the fact that his cousin was used to being the only child in the house, but he would have thought that some civility could have made their stay better, especially when Sophie tried to make friends with him only for him to ignore her.

That was in the past, of course, but slights against his sister tended to take a while to fade.

"Aimeric," was Leon's short response.

They stayed standing for a bit before Aimeric gestured for Leon to take a seat. Leon decided to humor him as long as it meant that the point was reached.

"I trust your plane ride went smoothly?" his cousin asked.

Leon nodded again.

"Good, good." Aimeric nodded in response.

The maid came in with some iced coffee, first serving the guest and then Aimeric. She left some finger snacks and carrots on the small table in front of the chairs. Then, she left the room as quietly as she came in.

His cousin grabbed some baby carrots. The crunching of the carrots filled the room.

Leon sighed, knowing that he should contribute to the conversation - Sora's influence, he had no doubt. She would be proud that he even thought to contribute to break the ice.

"How are your parents?"

"They're enjoying retirement," Aimeric said once he swallowed his chewed carrots. "They visit every so often." He took a sip of his iced coffee and then spoke some more. "They're coming today, actually."

Leon's eyes narrowed a little at that, but Aimeric did not notice.

_What are the odds that they would be paying a visit the same time I come into the country?_ Leon leaned back and took a drink of his beverage.

It couldn't be a coincidence.

All the letter said was that there was a family matter that concerned himself and Sophie and that it was dire that he come. He would have ignored it but he received two letters of that nature, plus the fact that he did not give his address to his family let him know that they had him investigated.

_Whatever the issue is, they were willing to pay money to find me._

The Dubois's were penny-pinchers when it came to spending money outside of their nuclear family of three. The fact that they were willing to do that made him a bit anxious. The long plane ride had given him ample amount of time to ruminate on the letters and any implications to be found from them. He really didn't derive much, especially since the matter involved his dearly departed sister.

Not even five seconds passed before Leon couldn't take the silence anymore.

He never really took delight in reading mystery novels...

"Aimeric, what's this about?"

His cousin had been making a grab for a chocolate croissant when Leon spoke up. Aimeric started a little, dropping the treat back onto the dish. His hand quickly returned to the armrest with a guilty air.

"Ah, well, it is a family matter - "

"Yes, you wrote that twice," Leon cut in, "However, I do not see how the dead can be involved in this."

Aimeric's hand twitched at the word "dead."

Leon caught that, and his mind took that word in and processed it. He leaned forward as the ideas built up in his mind. He was going to get some answers.

"Has someone recently died?"

Aimeric swallowed. "Cousin, I do not think that I am the person to - "

"You'll do," Leon easily replied.

Aimeric blinked at the bluntness of Leon. He could not recall hearing him say so much - well, except for that _one time_, but it had been a pretty intense situation - otherwise, he was caught off guard by it.

Leon sighed to himself when he noticed his cousin's wide, hazel eyes.

"You are capable of telling me," Leon started in a more relaxed tone.

Aimeric calmed down when Leon sat back, adding some distance. Leon's stare has always intimidated him, even from when they were children. Granted, his eyes were not as intense as before but they were still unnerving.

He sat back as well, putting a little more distance between them.

"Yes," Aimeric slowly started with the folding of his hands over his stomach, "Grandfather died." He saw a silver brow twitch but when Leon did not comment, he continued, "There will be a reading of his will in two days - well, it was suppose to have been read already, but there are...requirements...to meet before the reading of it."

"What sort of requirements?"

Aimeric looked up from his hands with a somber face.

"He requested you and Sophie to be present."

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	38. Chapter 38

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Leon remembered the first time he met his grandfather.

The man had been loud, abrasive, and very disapproving. He yelled at his mother for marrying an Oswald while his father stood in front of a very pregnant wife and son. His father eventually yelled back, telling the older man to not come back until he learned to be civil.

The small family did not see the grandfather for several years, nor any relatives from his mother's side of the family. His father had been an only child and his father's parents already dead, leaving only distant relatives from his father's side that neither loved or hated them.

In short, the family of four stayed within their own sphere.

When his mother and father died, the loss cut both him and Sophie deeply. Their parents had been their only protectors and sources of comfort. To have them gone so quickly and so early in life left him aching but he felt that he could not dwell on it for too long.

He had a little sister that needed him and that fact had his focus.

While at the Dubois's house, they inevitably ran into their grandfather again. Still the stern, disapproving man from Leon's earlier childhood, he had been defensive when the grandfather approached them.

_"So there was another Oswald born," he derisively said. _

_Sophie half hid behind Leon at first, but curiosity had gotten the better of her. She slowly walked around Leon and did a little curtsy like the princesses did in the movies and theatres._

_"I'm Sophie," she chirped. _

_The older man lost his sneer for a moment, something flashing across his face. Sophie saw it first and recognized it for what it was. She reached a small hand out to touch his arm. _

_"Don't be sad," she said with a gentle smile._

_The statement had shocked both grandfather and Leon. The older man was speechless, but quickly recovered from it. He walked away from them and did not bother them again._

The request for their presences for the will reading did not make sense.

Leon could somewhat understand why Sophie would be requested. As he grew older, he realized that his grandfather must have seen something of his late daughter within Sophie that day, especially since she had their mother's pale green eyes. For all the man's yelling, he must have still loved his daughter though he did not agree with whom she married.

What Leon could not understand was why he was invited.

His features were his father's. Eyes, hair, nose, chin...he was all Oswald and not even a hint of Dubois could be seen in him. He had thought that maybe that was one reason his grandfather had been even more upset when he first visited the family.

"Grandfather Dubois did not update his will?" Leon finally murmured after some time.

Aimeric sighed. "He updated it the week before he died." Leon narrowed his eyes on Aimeric and his cousin knew why. "I do not know why Soph - she - was kept in the invitees for the will reading. All I know was that I was told that you needed to come for it."

"So my name was not specified?"

Aimeric shrugged. "I only know what was told to me."

Leon thought on that, eventually settling on the idea that with his sister dead he was probably here as a substitute. "You said 'requirements'." He took a sip of the coffee just to have something to do. "What else is needed?"

"Ah," Aimeric shifted in his seat, "all those attending the will reading must first have dinner in grandfather's dining room."

Leon stiffened. He thought of the Dubois members he's met over the years with their snobbery, greed, and in some cases, the same derisive attitude as the late grandfather.

To be stuck at a table full of that, especially after experiencing the warmth of a family meal at the Naegino household - however out of place he felt in the beginning of their Japan trip - he felt a clammy coldness enter inside him.

"No."

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	39. Chapter 39

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Aimeric was taken back.

"W-What do you mean, 'no'?"

Leon placed his coffee down on the table and sat up in his seat. "No, I will not participate."

"But cousin, you need to be at the estate for the will - "

"I do not care to hear it," Leon curtly cut in.

Aimeric stood up as he grew restless. He ran a hand through his light brown hair and thought about what to say. "No one can hear it without you there," he reasoned, "it was a requirement."

"Sophie's presence is a requirement," Leon corrected. "I am merely a stand-in." Leon stood up as well and grabbed his laptop bag. "I am sure there is a loophole for that, especially since one of the persons requested is no longer living." He gave a nod to Aimeric. "Thank you for the coffee."

And then he walked out of the sitting area.

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Leon told the maid that he would be resting and was not to be disturbed until dinner.

She nodded her understanding.

He brought his suitcase into the room, a beige and white decor like the rest of the house, and opened up his laptop bag. His business here was done since he did not wish to be a part of the will reading so he could buy the earliest flight back to the US.

He did not want to stay any longer than he had to.

In the middle of his booking, he began to feel the effects of jet lag. He was reaching into his pocket for his wallet to input his credit card information when Sora's good luck charm fell out. He bent over in his chair to grab it and slip it back into his pocket, but he found himself staring at it.

"_Call me when you need to," she had told him. With a grin, she pecked his cheek. "Or if you just want to."_ He took a look at the clock and knew that she would still be in the practice room.

He fisted the charm. "Should I go?" he murmured, "Despite the history?"

He could hear her voice and see the movement of her eyebrows as she spoke from the heart.

_"Don't people deserve second chances?"_

He knew that they were together because of her belief in second chances, though he wasn't certain if that belief worked for everyone. He sighed, already knowing what was going to happen but not particularly enthusiastic about it.

He slipped the charm back into his pocket.

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Leon had fallen asleep after cancelling his flight when he heard the front door swing closed.

His guest room was at the front of the house and a part of the wall of his room was the same wall of the front doorway, meaning that when the door closed none too softly his wall shook and vibrated with the force of the door.

He started at the sound.

With a exhale of breath, he looked at the clock and then rolled onto his back. He blankly stared at the ceiling as he realized his uncle and aunt were probably here now. He faintly heard some voices and the clacking of his aunt's heels as she walked further into the house.

Soon, there was a knock on his door. "Monsieur Oswald, are you awake?"

"Yes," he called out.

"Your uncle wishes to speak to you in the sitting room."

_That was fast,_ he inwardly noted before replying that he'd be there soon. His cousin was quick to catch his parents up in what has occurred thus far. Leon thought he would have at least another twenty minutes before needing to speak to them.

He got off of the bed and walked into his connected bathroom.

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When he entered the sitting room, discussions between Aimeric and his parents ceased.

"Leon, my nephew," his aunt exclaimed with open arms.

_She doesn't expect me to come, does she?_ The thought of _hugging_ his distant aunt sounded so foreign, he nearly shuddered. She was only affectionate with her son and no one else - including her husband. His aunt and uncle did not hate each other or fight on a regular basis. There was just no real passion between them, only this single layer of respect and duty.

Leon often wondered how Aimeric had been conceived.

_Lots of wine_, he wiry surmised, but he did not think any further than that.

When his aunt's arms continued to stay up, he realized that she did indeed expect him to come over to her. _No. _But almost immediately, he could hear Sora's voice reprimanding him for being callous.

_"Go hug your aunt!"_

The things he did for her...

He walked over and stiffly received a hug from her, though, her arms were stiff as well, making him wonder why in the hell did she want a hug if she was just as reluctant to give one as he was in receiving one.

_Any thoughts on that, Sora?_

His mental image of Sora shrugged. _"We all got to start somewhere."_

She would say something like that.

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AN: It's kind of fun to write out a history for Leon, since we really didn't get much details from the anime.


	40. Chapter 40

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When his aunt sat down next to him, Leon was certain something was up.

_First the hug and now this...?_

He was getting a flashback from the last time he came here when they tried to lull him in a false sense of calmness and security. The thought did not sit well with him. He shifted away from his aunt and turned his attention to his uncle when Aimeric kept his gaze on his drink.

"Nephew," his uncle started from his standing position in front and his arms folded over his chest with a disapproving frown, "I understand that you do not wish to participate in the will reading."

_Dégage_, Leon caustically thought.

The man was not his father nor has he ever attempted to be a figure for him to look up to. His sorry attempt to do so now was beyond aggravating, especially when Leon no longer needed him to be in such a role. He was 24 years old, him and his partner world renown, more than well off in regards to money, and happily engaged.

The patronizing tone was insulting, quite frankly.

Because of the insult, he debated whether to tell them straightforward that he had changed his mind. He looked at his cousin again, seeing that he was no longer focused on his drink and his aunt slightly twisting her fingers in anticipation.

Leon sat back and crossed his arms, mimicking his uncle. "What do you need me for?"

His uncle stared at him in disbelief. "Aimeric told you. The will cannot be read -"

"- Without Sophie there," Leon flatly finished. "But you need me to step in. However, given the situation I would think that requirement would be something that can be ignored for obvious reasons."

"Normally, yes," the older man said slowly as he rocked back on his heels, "but not if something is in the will for that person."

"Grandfather left something for Sophie?"

His uncle nodded.

Leon uncrossed his arms as he thought. "But the will was revised well after her passing."

"Yes."

Leon rested his elbows on his legs and folded his hands against his mouth. He did not understand what his grandfather was thinking, leaving something to someone who passed away years ago.

"...Did he have dementia or Alzheimer's?"

His uncle shook his head with a snort. "No, that would have been understandable."

Before any other questions could be asked, a light clearing of the throat was heard, signaling the arrival of the maid.

"Dinner is served," she announced, and then left the room.

Aimeric stood up when his mother did and they went out of the sitting room. Leon made to follow, but his uncle's hand along his shoulder gave him pause. He withheld a sneer and the urge to shake the man's hand off of him.

"We only know that her name is on the will," his uncle murmured. "Come to the dinner at Grandfather Dubois's estate and I'm sure we'll find out more."

As Leon looked at the greying hair and wrinkles of his uncle's features, he could practically see him some five or six years ago, placing a hand on his shoulder in the same room they were in, trying to 'reason' with Leon after a shouting match had taken place.

_"We took care of you and little Sophie, pulling money from our own child's funds! Why, any other family would have turned you two over to the orphanage, but we kept you here instead out of our sense of family!"_

_A younger Leon sneered with frosted eyes. "You call on our family ties only when it's convenient."_

_'The Pegasus of the Stage' was a famous name; he shouldn't have been surprised that his so called family sought him out now, after all these years, only to take advantage of that fame. __And to think that he had thought they were going to offer comfort seeing as Sophie passed away not even a whole year ago._

_He was disgusted with how naive he was._

_"Take what you're owed," Leon spat as he finally scribbled an amount on a check and slapped it on the table. "Do not contact me again, leech."_

_He left without looking back._

"If not for yourself," his uncle's voice filtered through his memories, "at least do it for your family."

Razor sharp words nearly came out of Leon's mouth, but he swallowed them. They burned his throat like acid and he wanted nothing more than to spit them out. His eyes must have spoke of his emotions for his uncle immediately removed his hand.

"I'll stay," Leon quietly, but coldly said, "but not for you."

He walked past his uncle and into the dining room.

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AN: Strong, messy emotions. :( I got the sense from the anime that Leon didn't really connect with his family - besides Sophie, obviously.

From what I understand, dégage has similar meanings to "go away," "sod off," "forget you," and etc. when used in the context I did. I think the literal meaning is unclasp, unhook, or something along those lines.


	41. Chapter 41

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Dinner had been relatively quiet, except for some conversation between Aimeric and his mother.

Not having much of an appetite, Leon was the first to leave the table. He had thanked them for the food and left after saying good night. As he made his way to his room, he could hear their voices as if his presence had prevented the chatter early.

The thought felt heavy as it settled in him.

He closed his door quietly and got out a change of clothing. Then, wordlessly he went into the bathroom to take a shower.

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Leon didn't know how long he just lay on his bed looking at the ceiling.

Sleep was stubbornly keeping its distance and he already counted enough sheep to fill an entire hillside. His hands were folded on top of his stomach and his forefinger tapped his knuckles.

He didn't like being here.

Truly, he never really felt like he belonged here, even in his childhood, but the feeling was worse now than from back then. He couldn't exactly pin down why he would feel that way. Logically, he would think he would feel like an outsider when he was a child here, not when he was an adult and capable of handling and understanding these things.

His finger paused.

_Perhaps, _he tried to reason, _it is because I am older._

He thought about how he was back then and how he had slowly encased himself in a thick, protective layer with his parent's death. None could get in but his sister, whom knew where the cracks lay. But after her death, there was no one else that could reach him and so he stayed behind those walls.

His empathy lowered and his heart lay dormant for years. Then he came to the Kaleido Stage and Sora brought his true self out again. He was older now, and his heart revived. Though, such a reawakening meant that he was susceptible to _all _emotions.

With joy came anger.

With love came resentment.

With happiness came sadness.

_I no longer have the thick walls,_ he realized. _That is why I feel the loneliness even more acutely. _He also did not have his sister with him in this house unlike his past self. She had not only been his family, but also his confidante and friend.

He did not have such a person with him now.

He sighed and rolled over onto his side.

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_This is the longest night. _

Leon was still awake and it was still dark outside.

He couldn't remember the last time he had trouble falling asleep. He already recited the alphabet in English, French, Spanish, half in Italian and half in German. He counted up to seven in Mandarin and only five in Japanese - he recalled his soon to be father-in-law holding up five fingers at that one restaurant as he said how many were in their party. His eyes widened at a sudden revelation.

He was going to have a father-in-law, a mother-in-law, and a _sister_-in-law.

He hadn't really thought about it in that way.

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_I shouldn't call her._

The night was still here and he was very much conscious, though now he has been debating about calling his fiancee or not. It was still the first day - night - that he has been here. It would be much too soon for him to be turning to her for comfort.

He was sure he was going to need it later on.

Though, he felt like he needed it now too.

_I went to bed too early_. He should have gone out for a walk after dinner or read something. He was an adult, he didn't have to ask permission to leave the house, though he was sure it would be nice to let them know when he was heading out.

But then they might want to come too.

He grabbed a pillow and covered his head with it.

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He heard the line ringing as he waited for Sora to pick up.

_I used to be more resolved,_ he thought without much scolding before he heard his fiancee answer in groggy Japanese.

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AN: Don't you hate those nights when you can't fall asleep?


	42. Chapter 42

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Sora was flying in her dreams among fluffy clouds when she heard it.

A while back, she had asked Leon what song he wanted for his caller id. He had not stated a particular preference, only saying that he liked opera and theatre music. They had just seen a movie that she thought fit him, so she had chosen that.

Loud, blaring organ music sounded in her room from the _Phantom of the Opera_.

She yelped, not noticing that she had been sleeping on the very edge of the bed and so when she jerked awake she also fell off the bed none too gracefully.

_"In sleep he sang to me, in dreams he came..." _The thud was barely heard over the ringtone. _"...That voice that calls to me and speaks my name..."_

From the floor, she blindly felt for her phone on the bed side table and felt a sense of triumph when it was in her hand. She pressed the call button and brought it to her ear. "Moshi, moshi," she croaked out, not bothered that she had responded in Japanese to her fiancee's ringtone. She did it so often, he was used to it by now.

_"I can't sleep," _came the quiet rumblings of Leon's voice.

"What time is it over there?" she questioned sleepily.

There was a pause on the line as he looked at the clock. _"7:45 in the morning." _Another pause. _"__Do you have time to talk?"_

She lazily turned to look at her clock, seeing the bright red lighting of the numbers, reading '10:45 PM.'

"Sure," she mumbled as she laid back on the floor. It wasn't too late in the night. "So how's the trip so far?"

The line was quiet for a moment. _"It could be worse."_ Long pause. _"How about you?"_

"Just practicing and watching movies with friends." With some mischief she added, "Though I did go on a few dates with a cute boy. He was a real gentleman and everything."

She heard him scoff on the line. _"I highly doubt that."_

"Confident even so far away?" she teased.

She twirled her hair as she waited for his response. _"Of course," _he breezily replied. _"I affect you in ways no one else has done before,"_ he nearly purred._ "Even now you're twirling your hair in that charming way just from talking with me."_

Her fingers released her hair and her cheeks heated. "What makes you so certain that's what I'm doing?"

_"Because you asked," _ he chuckled. _"And now I know."_

"Flirt!" she retorted.

_"Says the one who claimed to be dating another," _he easily responded. She pouted as her teasing backfired on her. He was so good at turning a phrase back on her to bring out a blush. _"If it gives you any consolation," _his murmuring brought her back to the phone, _"You affect me as much, if not more."_

She felt giddy with that reveal.

She looked at the photo of them on her nightstand. They were in pirate outfits for Halloween, her with a stuffed parrot on her shoulder and he with an eye patch, though he only had it on for the photo. After pleading and begging he relented to her request to dress up for the trick or treaters that came to the stage.

She smiled at the memory, though she also felt that slight ache inside.

Throughout the day she felt it but she pushed it down and chided herself. "I know it's only been a day, but - "she cut off as she bit her bottom lip, hoping he didn't think she was being too needy. But after taking another look at the photo with the ridiculous eye patch on his face and her fake gold tooth shining and out of place with her big smile as she brandished a plastic broadsword and he had his arms crossed next to her, she felt the ache even more sharply.

"I miss you," she said in a small voice.

She was used to seeing him around and eating with him, even talking his ear off though he could tell her to shush, but he never did. She missed the warmth of his hand in hers and that light in his eyes when they were together.

And then that smile that pulled at the corner of his mouth when he was happy in his quiet way...

She missed him an awful lot though it had only been a day.

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On the other side of the line, Leon was sitting up on the bed with his back to the headboard.

His room was lighting up with the disappearance of the night, but he did not pay it any mind. Her soft statement had his attention and his head lightly thumped the headboard as his eyes closed.

He felt comfort with her words.

Although here he did not belong and here he wasn't anyone to be concerned about, over in Cape Mary he was. Someone missed him elsewhere. Someone loved him and wanted him around.

Warmth filled him and chased the cold away - at least for the time being.

But that was more than enough.

"So do I," he murmured, "so do I."

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They talked some more until she inevitably fell asleep.

Thankfully, she had moved back onto the bed so when sleep reclaimed her she was in comfort. A little smile played on her lips and she curled herself around her pillow. Her hand closed around the corner of the pillow and she felt it tingle like it did when she held his hand.

Her smile grew in her sleep.

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Despite the time, Leon settled down to sleep.

His eyes drooped and his heart felt settled.

He counted to three in Japanese and he reached no further for he finally drifted off into slumber.

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AN: Cheesy? Maybe. But I like cheese. :P


	43. Chapter 43

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Aimeric sighed as he took a bite of his celery.

Maddie went to go check and see if Leon was still in his room. Two mornings ago, Leon had gotten out of his room in the late afternoon. He figured that he was adjusting to the time difference so he had not thought much of it. This morning his cousin woke up early according to Maddie - _Madeline_, he corrected himself - but he hasn't actually seen Leon around the house.

It was half past four already.

_What could he be doing?_

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On the window seat of his room, Leon comfortable sat with the phone to his ear.

He let out a small smile as Sora stammered on the other end.

_"You're even worse over the phone,"_ she chided in response to his not so subtle flirtation. He heard the clatter of a pan and some cracking noise as she moved about.

"What are you making?"

_"Well, Mr. Chef,"_ he heard the light tinking of something repeatedly hitting glass, "_seeing as it's not even 8 am over here and we'll most likely be talking for a while, I thought some breakfast would be good." _The tinking sound paused for a moment and then it started up again. _"Guess what I'm making."_

He half smirked at the challenge in her voice.

"What do I win if I guess correctly?"

_"Let me think__..."_

He thrummed his fingers along his knee as he waited.

"I can offer some suggestions."

_"Shush!" _she tutted. _"My challenge, my prize." _Pause. _"Ok, if you can guess what I'm making, I'll make it for you when you return."_

He hummed as he tapped his knee. "Temping, but not quite." With a full out smirk, he asked, "What are you wearing?"

_"...Why?"_

His eyes lidded a little. "The visual might persuade me to agree."

There was a loud clatter and he heard her squeak, though the sound was faint. _She must have dropped the phone_. He chuckled to himself as he waited for his fiancee to pick up the phone.

_"I don't think I like your tone, mister!" _she hotly retorted.

He laughed a throaty sound. Right now she might not, but later on...Well, he just might be able to convince her otherwise. But for now he'll relent.

"I'll accept that prize on one condition."

She waited for him to continue but he did not. _"What's the condition?"_

"I'll tell you later."

_"Tell me now."_

He chuckled. "You're not ready to hear it."

He heard her sputter and he could imagine her cheeks turning red. Ah, he missed seeing that in person. That was probably one of the first things he was going to do when he saw her again.

_"Fine, you flirt. But you have to win first."_

"I intend to."

He leaned back against the wall of the window seat as he thought about what he heard. _The tinking sound is most likely her stirring something in a glass bowl. But before that, I heard some cracking which has to be eggs..._

"Omelette au fromage."

_"Hah!" _she crowed. _"You didn't get it all!"_

"You didn't let me finish," he drawled as he quickly thought of what else she would be cooking. Her statement told him that he was correct and she was indeed making the french omelette. But what else would she make as she talked to him, hearing his voice and thinking of him?

He smiled as the answer came.

"You are making an omelette au fromage, along with sausages cut like octopuses." Her silence made his smile grow. "Did I get it?"

He heard her mutter something in Japanese.

"I know what that means," he chided. "And I don't think your mother would approve."

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Maddie came back into the kitchen.

Aimeric had a truffle in his hand, but when he spotted her black and white uniform he quickly put the treat down and wiped the powdered sugar off of his fingers with a nearby napkin.

She shot him a stern look. He gave a guilty smile.

"The doctor said to watch your sugar intake," she reprimanded.

She walked over and took the plate of newly made truffles away from him. His mother liked those treats which is why he asked Maddie to make them.

_Madeline!_ He just couldn't get out of that habit.

"So," he cleared his throat. "Is Cousin Leon still here?"

"Yes, though..."

"Is something wrong?"

"No," she wistfully started. She just couldn't get his laughter out of her head. "I think he's on the phone with someone."

"Really now?" That had his interest for he had pegged his cousin as a lone wolf. "Do you know who it is?"

"How would I know?" Friends they may be, but how was she to know things that Aimeric didn't? She withheld the urge to roll her eyes. "But by the way he was talking I would say it's someone close."

"Close as in..."

"Intimate," she cut in. "Close to the heart, if not the soul."

Aimeric sat back at that. "_Au oui?_"

"Yes, really," Maddie dryly confirmed. "He's a human being and humans tend to want some sort of connection."

Aimeric had the decently to look abashed. "I wasn't suggesting that it wasn't possible." He looked at his hands in thought. "I just hadn't really considered whether he had a beaux or not."

He folded his hands together, frowning at the mess of fat fingers merged together. If there was one thing he wanted that Leon had, it was his body type. His cousin looked strong and lean - just so in shape - while he was this fatty blob of diabetes and high cholesterol.

Now with the information that Leon had some girlfriend or lover, Aimeric felt a little envious of that too.

"I do want to get to know my cousin," he murmured, "but I don't know where to begin."

The kitchen was quiet except for Maddie putting in a tray of something chocolate in the oven. She turned on the timer and then sat down at the table across from Aimeric.

"Talking would help," she suggested.

He nodded absentmindedly. "Yes."

She took a look at her forlorn friend and then sighed. "It takes time. Just stick with it."

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AN: Just in case it wasn't clear, Maddie's the maid. I'll delve more about her later on.


	44. Chapter 44

AN: The story that started all this, _Shifts in the Days,_ has reached over 40,000 views! Wow! :D In appreciation for the readers, this will be a longer chapter. :)

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The great estate of the late Francois Dubois, aka, Grandfather Dubois, was nothing like Aimeric's parents' house. Leon noted the vibrant flowers in bloom around the two story house, the stained glass windows and the intricate wall mural of the Eiffel tower at sunset.

In short, it screamed money.

Leon refrained from scoffing. The old man had this huge place, but no one lived it it except for himself and the servants. He was aware that his late grandfather did not help Sophie and him because of his father, however, as he walked down the hall with its many doors and priceless pieces of art on the walls, he wondered what could make a man turn a blind eye to two orphans, only to suddenly add at least one of them to his will near the end of his life.

And the deceased sibling was the one added.

It was a curious and frustrating situation.

"...and here is your grandfather when he was a young man..." his aunt rambled off with her arm stiffly looped through Leon's.

His aunt continued to have some contact with him even though it was obvious that she was forcing it. He made his arm not stiffen when she initially put her arm around his. Only Sora has done that with him; he wasn't comfortable having his once-distant aunt being so familiar with him when they've never been close to begin with.

But he had promised to try for the sake of his soon-to-be-wife.

The idea had started when his aunt hugged him and then further cemented as he talked on the phone with his fiancee. He knew that Sora accepted him as he is, including the fact that he didn't have family for her to bond with. She didn't pry about his family and neither did her parents, though he was sure she had spoken to them about that. But the truth was that there _are _family members on his side, however, he had not been putting much effort in connecting with them.

His lack of trying was not solely affecting him anymore.

He needed to try in the off-chance that he could reconcile with _some_ of his relatives, if not all of them. Realistically, he was not expecting to suddenly become friends with an entire family that had avoided him for many years, solely on the fact that his mother married his father.

_Sora could probably win them over with just her smile._

He had been completely taken by her and he hadn't thought himself to be easy to sway. A faint half smile started to appear, but then it waned. _It is only me here. _He will be lucky to befriend just one of them...

His aunt tugged his arm, drawing his attention to the left wall. He didn't catch what she had said but he looked at what she was pointing to. There were several black and white photographs of a family of three. Then, in another, the woman had a baby and the young child in the earlier photo was slightly taller. Leon looked through the pictures, seeing the baby grow and another one appear, except this time being held by the man.

As the third child grew, Leon recognized the youngest as the little girl from the old photo in his uncle and aunt's house.

"Your uncle was the second eldest," his aunt murmured beside him, tapping a manicured finger on a photo.

Leon stiffened. The little girl that looked familiar to him...

She was his mother.

His eyes avidly took in the photos with renewed interest, idly detaching himself from his aunt to follow the wall of old photos. The little girl grew and went through that awkward phase of adolescence with pimples and frizzy hair, but always with that achingly familiar smile on her face. Then she morphed into a young woman, her wild hair tamed with time but the ends still curling with the hints of that unruliness.

He felt strong nostalgia for the mother that was no longer here, the melancholy even more sharp with the reminder of how much his sister resembled their mother.

The sadness faded as he caught the hand of a man on his mother's shoulder.

"Who's this?" Leon asked without turning his head.

His uncle and cousin had gone on ahead, leaving only him and his aunt. He heard the clack of his aunt's heels as she walked over.

"Oh him," she murmured on instinct, "He's no one to be worried about."

His eyes narrowed on how close the man stood to his younger mother's form. Was it just him or was his mother's smile a little strained here...?

"All the same," Leon said, turning to look directly at his aunt, "I would like to know, seeing as he has a hand on my mother."

She pursed her lips a little, but then sighed. "He was a suitor of your mother's, from what I've been told," she fixed her pearl necklace as she spoke, though the necklace was fine already, "Grandfather Dubois liked him, but your mother hadn't been too thrilled. She refused the suit altogether when she met your father."

"...Is that why Grandfather was upset with my mother?"

"It was the beginning of it." She sighed again, letting her necklace rest where it was, "The suitor ended up dying some seven or eight years later of illness; your parents had been married and you were a child already." Seeing that her nephew was still staring, she uncomfortably added, "He had been considerably wealthy which would have left your mother well off upon his death."

Leon nodded, inwardly wondering if the time his grandfather had come to their house screaming and yelling had been when the rich suitor died. _With only one daughter, Grandfather Dubois relived the __loss of an opportunity with the man's death. _He was starting to see why no one would comfort him after Sophie's death given the way they treated the suitor's death.

Loss was measured in terms of money.

He took one last look at the photo and then continued down the hall, his aunt close behind him. As he heard his aunt's steps, he wondered why there was suddenly an old photo of his mother in Aimeric's parents house. It hadn't been there before and he didn't think it was for sentimental reasons, seeing as his uncle never said anything about missing his sister or how striking a resemblance Sophie had to his late sister.

Their behavior was strange.

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If Leon thought he felt out of place with Aimeric and his parents, that had been nothing to the "black sheep" feeling he was currently going through.

The other members of the Dubois family were already seated at the long dinner table when he came in.

Conversations ceased, following the uncomfortable staring.

Everyone had either dark sandy blonde hair or brown hair. The relatives he could see had light brown eyes, hazel eyes, or stunning green eyes. He was aware that he stood out with his light colored hair and grey eyes. _I wouldn't be surprised if they do not know who I am.__  
_

It was most likely the case.

"Corinne, how are you?" He heard his aunt call out as she came in behind.

Corinne turned her attention away from Leon, but the young woman with curly chestnut hair continued to stare. Leon arched a brow as Corinne greeted his aunt with a enthusiastic, "Monique! It has been too long!" yet the younger woman did not look away from him. He had a sinking feeling about this, but hoped that he was incorrect. However, when Corinne placed a hand on the young woman's arm, snapping her attention to his aunt with a flustering blush, he withheld the urge to sigh.

Like he needs a second cousin or something developing a crush on him...

"Cousin Leon," Aimeric called out and gestured to the empty seat next to him. Leon was surprised by the aid, but did not question it. He walked out of the doorway and to his cousin's side. Another young man was on Aimeric's other side and to him, Aimeric started the introductions. "Marc, this is my cousin Leon, on my father's side."

Marc blinked as he looked over the two cousins and finding nothing similar.

"I take after my father," Leon dryly explained, knowing where the confusion stemmed from.

Sheepish, Marc replied with an "Ah," and then extended a hand. "I'm sorry, it's just that you don't look related." Leon looked at the outstretched hand and took it. "I don't think I've seen you at any family gathering before, but you look familiar..."

"He lives in America," Aimeric jumped in to explain, "he's staying with us during his trip here."

"Hmm, America..." Marc nodded as if that explained everything.

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The dinner went by much too slowly and quietly for Leon.

After being used to conversing with Sora he found the low murmurings of speech to be too dull. He idly listened to Marc and Aimeric speaking and nodded his head a few times for things directed at him. He looked at his ring as he felt the absence of his fiancee's spirit, wondering if he should have asked her to join him for this trip. He took a look around, seeing the stiff backs and fine clothing. _She'd be afraid to breath, lest she break some etiquette rule. _He wouldn't care if she did - he probably broke a bunch of them already - but he would not wish her to be stuck in this awkward situation.

"How long have you been married, if you don't mind telling?"

Leon snapped out of his daydream to look at the older woman to his left, his cousin Aimeric being to his right. He did not see anything on her face that made him think she meant ill, so he responded.

"I am affianced," he corrected, "but will be married in the spring."

"A spring wedding," the older woman smiled, "how romantic."

His cousin Aimeric cut into the conversation, having caught what the woman said, "You're getting married?" he asked none too quietly and with shock in his voice. His friend Marc nudged him with his elbow, quietly telling him to watch his volume.

"Aimeric," the woman scolded, "that's highly offensive."

Aimeric's chubby cheeks reddened, recalling that Maddie had scolded him earlier for reacting a similar way some hours ago. "Sorry, Cousin Leon. I didn't mean that you _couldn't _ be engaged, I just - well, you know -" he stopped, gathered his thoughts and then spoke again, "Congratulations."

Leon was amused, and his voice betrayed some of it. "Thank you."

"Let's toast to that," Marc suggested, lifting up his wine glass. Aimeric and the older woman did the same and waited for the words. "May the wedding be good," with a half grin to Leon he finished, "and the honeymoon fruitful!"

Before they toasted each other, Aimeric added, "To Leon and..."

"Sora," Leon filled in.

"To Leon and Sora!" the three said in unison.

As their glasses lightly tapped one another's, Marc's brows furrowed. The name of the bride-to-be was tickling his mind, especially with both of the names together, but he couldn't recollect from where.

"That's an Asian name," the woman responded as she clinked her glass with the groom-to-be.

"She's Japanese."

"It sounds nice."

A shadow of a smile appeared on his face. "She is."

For some reason, that made Marc remember. "Monsieur Leon Oswald of Kaleido Stage!"

A few moments before Marc's response, the nannies were bringing in the children from the other room. The "Kaleido Stage" rang out in the dining hall and like a dog whistle it brought the heads of half of the kids to look up and around for someone from that stage. When they spotted the familiar silver hair, their faces lit up.

Some kids squealed in place since the nannies had their hands.

The others ran over, fancy clothes and all.

"Could I have an autograph?!"

"Are you doing a show in France?!"

A little boy tugged the sleeve of his dress shirt. "Is Mademoiselle Sora with you too?"

That set off a whole other slew of questions and an increased volume of the speech in the room. Leon was at a loss, not knowing how to get them to settle down. Sophie had been energetic as a kid, but she knew when it was time to talk quietly and when she could babble as loudly as she wanted to. He looked over at Aimeric and the young man shrugged.

Great.

"My friend did a piece about your stage!" Leon heard Marc proclaim. "You're famous!"

That got some of the adults' interest.

Leon inwardly sighed as he grabbed the pen enthusiastically offered to him. He inwardly cursed himself for being more lax about his autograph rule, yet another influence of a certain redhead.

"What's your name?"

SL

After five autographs from the kids and six from the adults, the nannies came over and calmed the children down.

Though, after getting two autographs.

"I knew you are a skilled acrobat, but I thought it had been from earlier in your career," Aimeric said.

"He's even _more _famous than before, Aimeric!" Marc excitedly informed his friend."Ever since the Angel's Maneuver some years ago, the name of Leon Oswald has held the circus world captured!"

Aimeric turned to Leon, feeling impressed but a little envious.

"It is not my name that has them transfixed," Leon quietly corrected. "My partner is the true star."

"Oh?" Aimeric had expected Leon to puff up at praise.

"Yes," Leon murmured as he looked at his wine glass. "Without her, I would not be where I am today." His red wine swirled as he slowly rotated it. "She has accomplished the impossible, time and again."

"Careful now," the old woman teased, "if your fiancée heard you talking, she'd get jealous."

Leon chuckled, unable to help it. "She would go red, for they are one and the same."

"You're marrying your partner?" Marc asked, a hint of appreciation coloring his voice. He had seen some photos of her before in the papers. He wouldn't classify her as an extreme beauty, but she had this something that made a person look at her again, this energy and light that made her glow.

"Careful," Leon stated, half in seriousness, "that's my fiancée."

"Duly noted," Marc said with a swallow.

Aimeric listened, seeing his cousin in a new light.

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AN: Ok, this is 2,500 something words. XD


	45. Chapter 45

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It was late into the night when they reconvened in a sitting room for the will reading.

The children were put to sleep in the various rooms and their nannies stayed with them. Aimeric had gotten a glass of alcohol for Leon and himself, Marc having gone to sit with his family. As they settled down, Aimeric's parents sitting somewhere around them but still far enough that the cousins had their own space, Aimeric cleared his throat, catching Leon's attention.

"So, ah, do you like performing?" Almost immediately after asking, Aimeric winced to himself at the less than great question. _"Talking would help," Maddie said._ Though, he was sure getting to know his cousin would work better if he had more thought out questions.

"I do," Leon started, "Though I did not enjoy it as much as I do now."

Before Aimeric blurted out, _'Why?'_, he stopped himself and reworded it to sound more intelligent, having recalled the praise Leon gave to his partner. "Your partner's influence?"

That shadow of a smile appeared again. "Very much so."

Aimeric nodded and then tipped his drink back, though it had been more than he meant to, resulting in him nearly choking on it. Leon turned to look but Aimeric held up a hand, signaling that he was fine.

Then, it was silent between them.

Aimeric tapped his finger on the glass, thinking of what to say. "Maddie's kind of like that," he started, and then realized that 1) Leon probably didn't know who that was and 2) he called her by her nickname, yet again. "Madeline's the maid," he clarified, "she came some months after you and - er - after you left to train. She's been my friend ever since then."

Leon nodded. Aimeric took it as encouragement.

"She's the granddaughter of the chef that used to come by on Sundays - do you remember Chef Leclair? She cooked for the luncheons."

_Know_ her? Leon withheld the urge to laugh. _Of course I do, seeing as she was the one that taught me the basics of cooking._ Without her, he wouldn't have gotten interested in cooking. He owed her many thanks for her helpful hints, especially when he and Sophie went to live with Alain. His old trainer couldn't even make oatmeal without burning it. Without Chef Leclair's lessons, the Oswald siblings would probably have had permanent stomach problems.

"I remember her," was all Leon said.

"Maddi - er - Madeline learned from her grandmother before she passed away."

Leon paused in taking a sip. There went the idea of thanking her in person."My condolences."

He'll have to visit her grave after seeing his family's. He made sure Sophie was buried next to their parents and had even bought a space for himself in the event of his death. His eyes widened slightly as he realized a dilemma.

_Where will I be buried?_

With his pending wedding, he had not thought about the space he bought some years ago. Back then, he was sure he would want to be buried with the rest of his family, but now...He lowered his glass as somber thoughts came. He did not think he would like to be buried away from Sora - regardless of the fact that he would be _dead_, meaning that he no longer would have a consciousness of whether he was next to her or not, but it was a matter of reassurance and comfort while he was alive, as strange as that sounded.

But if he was buried with Sora in America, what about his family buried in France? _  
_

"Cousin Leon, are you alright?"

"Fine," Leon murmured and then he downed half of his glass.

Aimeric blinked at the action, but chose not to pry. It helped that their grandfather's lawyer was coming into the room and taking his spot at the front of the room where a wooden podium had been placed.

"Apologizes for the wait," the older man said. "I wanted to read it over and make sure everything was in place. I've checked with the butler and it seems that we can commence now that everyone is here."

The lawyer waited as a few family members sat down on the couches and made themselves comfortable. A maid placed a glass of water on the podium and then took her place over by the wall with the other servers. He thanked the maid as he pulled out his reading glasses from his coat's inner pocket.

"Now then, we'll start with the stocks and other legalities..."

SL

As the will was read, Aimeric noticed the smiles on his relatives' faces.

"They look happier now than when he was alive," he mumbled to Leon, who was working on his drink.

"Who?"

"Grandfather Dubois," Aimeric clarified.

"Leeches," Leon bit out, taking another sip of his drink.

Aimeric started at the venom in Leon's voice, but then narrowed his hazel eyes when he noted that Leon's glass had been refilled. "How many glasses have you had to drink?"

"Three here and a glass of wine during dinner."

"...Are you trying to get drunk?"

Leon slowly fixed his eyes on his cousin. "I'm not particularly fond of death."

"Oh." Aimeric shifted uncomfortably on the couch, vaguely catching his father's name and his uncle's as the stock was split amongst them. "You're still pretty articulate."

Leon half shrugged. "High tolerance."

SL

On another couch nearby, Aimeric's parents Monique and Gifford attentively listened to the lawyer.

They were now in the division of the lands, and having been a Realtor for some years before retiring, Gifford had written down the properties of his late father and looked up the worth of those areas.

"...in the mountains. To my eldest, I bestow this estate..." the lawyer droned on, reading the will.

"Is the estate worth a lot?" Monique whispered to her husband.

"The house itself is, but the land around it..."Gifford shook his head. "Not so much. Though, if he keeps all of the vases and art pieces, the inheritance's value will be raised."

Monique pursed her lips. She wasn't sure yet if the dinner invitations extended to Grandfather Dubois had any impact on the will yet. _Perhaps we should have started that sooner._ She lightly twisted her fingers; it was quite possible they had paid attention to him too late in his life.

She just hoped that didn't go for Leon as well...

"...including the art pieces and other such items in the estate."

Gifford fisted his hand. _Drat! _He had hoped that the art would be divided as well. His wife gripped his arm, bringing his attention to her. She had a misplaced smile on her face considering that his older brother will be given the estate in all it's entirety.

"Did you hear that?" she excitedly whispered. "Our son gets the place along the Côte d'Azur!"

SL

Leon heard some "ooh's!" when Aimeric's inheritance was stated. _The Côte d'Azur...it sounds familiar_...He turned to his cousin, nearly spilling his fourth cup - not including the wine from dinner. "Is that the French Riviera?"

Aimeric snapped out of his daydream of beautiful blue waters and light colored sand. "Ah, yes. That is the place."

"Nice area," Leon lifted his glass a little.

Aimeric laughed. He had an even greater motivator to get into shape now or else look like a pastry puff out on the beach.

_A place of my own..._He couldn't wait to move.

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"That's nice," Gifford started, but then frowned a little, "but I'm sure the place will be expensive to keep."

He looked at the paper, seeing the other places Aimeric could have gotten. Some would have been better, especially in regards to the up keeping. It would have been ideal for Aimeric to get someplace that could bring in a cash flow, rather than drain it.

The lawyer continued talking, finally listing the last place on Gifford's list.

"That's it," Monique stated quizzically as she saw her husband cross out the last item on his list, "so was nothing left for Sophie?"

"It must be a sentimental heirloom," Gifford reasoned.

However, the lawyer continued talking, further confusing the couple. "And lastly, for my granddaughter Sophie Oswald, I bestow to her my daughter's inheritance, generously given by the late Jean-Marie Claude," the lawyer paused as he found his place again, "the chateau in Bordeaux, which will be left in the care taking of her next of kin, Leon Oswald."

"What?!"

SL

After the lawyer finished talking, there were some outcries.

Aimeric recognized one of the voices as his father. Leon was still trying to make sense of the rather long sentence.

He understood that his sister was getting their mother's inheritance, but the benefactor of that inheritance didn't seem to be his grandfather's. Or at least, not originally. "Who's Jean-Marie Claude?" Leon asked, drawing Aimeric away from his father's cry about the property being concealed from the rest of the family and demanding a proper explanation.

"The name is familiar, but I can't recall." Aimeric ignored his father's outrage and lifted a glass to Leon.

"What is the cheers for?"

Aimeric kept his glass up. "Bordeaux is world famous for its wine industry. You've undoubtedly inherited a vineyard and a wine chateau."

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AN: Wrapping up the France visit.


	46. Chapter 46

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Gifford Dubois was not pleased.

He had done his research and his wife had buttered the old man up only for him to have some stock and his son an expensive place on the French Riviera. And then his absent nephew is left prime lands in the wine industry, meaning that the land made its own income as well as being worth a lot investment-wise.

In comparison, he had not been left enough.

"There is no listing of a chateau in Bordeaux under my father's holdings!" He nearly shouted to the lawyer. "There must be some mistake!"

The lawyer sighed. "That's because it's a part of the late Jean-Marie Claude's holdings," he patiently explained, "which had been left to Josephina Dubois Oswald, to be given at her father's discretion." The man took off his glasses and placed them back into his coat. "Francois Dubois did not give it to her while she was living, and so he has left it for her daughter, Sophie Oswald. But she, too, is no longer living which leaves it to her brother, Leon Oswald."

Gifford's face was red from indignation. There had to be some sort of loophole.

SL

Although the alcohol made Leon's processing skills slow, he listened and realized several things.

1) Jean-Marie Claude had died while his mother was alive, leading him to believe that the man was the rich suitor that his mother refused.

2) His Grandfather Dubois withheld the chateau out of spite, which is why his mother did not receive it. That same spite prevented him from giving Sophie the chateau while she was living.

3) His Grandfather was an ass. (related to #2's revelation)

4) His Uncle Gifford was still contesting his indirect inheritance, also making him an ass.

5) His Aunt Monique's attentions to him made him wonder if she had been trying to butter him up so that he would leave them whatever was left for Sophie, making her Ass #3.

The only thing he was not certain was whether Aimeric was in on the whole "buttering up" plan as well, which would explain why he was suddenly interested in his life and engagement after so many years of silence.

If Aimeric was a part of it, that made him Ass #4.

Unsurprisingly, the name calling didn't make Leon feel any better about the situation. He downed his drink and slammed the cup on a table, surprising the people around him. The room quieted a little and Aimeric was the first to speak to him.

"Cousin Leon, what's the -"

"Don't," Leon icily interrupted.

Aimeric quickly closed his mouth, seeing that Leon was not in the mood to talk. Leon slowly walked towards the door, snagged two other glasses of alcohol from one of the server's trays and then lifted one up towards his relatives in a mock toast. They had caught his movements earlier, his silver hair hard to miss and now they watched him over by the doorway.

"_Vive la France," _he dryly proclaimed, "she can keep the backstabbing Dubois family."

He took a long drink of the glass and then left the sitting room.

SL

In Cape Mary, Sora was drying herself off on the beach when she heard her phone.

Recognizing the caller id ringtone, she told Rosetta and Marion to go ahead to Mia's room for the Disney marathon. "I might be a while," she sheepishly added, recalling the last few times she was on the phone with Leon.

Marion let loose a goofy smile. "Is it your fiance?"

When Sora blushed, the younger girl squealed with stars in her eyes.

Sora made a shooing motion with her hand, making Marion giggle. Rosetta grabbed Marion's arm and then they were off. Sora waved a hand to her friends, simultaneously grabbing her duffle bag and slipping her flip flops on. She pulled her phone out and hit the call button as she made her way off of the beach.

"Moshi -" she began in greeting, but she did not get to finish.

_"I have a family of asses."_

She stopped in place, never having heard Leon curse before. "W-What?"

_"I'm in France with my family," _he clarified. _"My grandfather died, leaving Sophie something, which was then shoved onto me." _Pause. _"That's why I left Cape Mary."_

She began walking again, needing to distance herself from the seagulls and the sounds of the ocean to hear him better. She wasn't certain but his voice sounded strange though she won't be able to tell until she was off of the beach. "Oh. So, what did you get?"

_"A chateau in Bordeaux, which my so-called family wants."_

"What time is it over there?"

Pause. _"A little past midnight."_

She adjusted the bag on her shoulder as she walked up the steps leading to the dorms. "Have you been drinking?"

_"A few glasses," _he breezily replied and then continued, picking up where he left off. _"I think what bothers me the most is that he couldn't leave it to me directly." _Pause. _"I resemble my father and he resented the fact that my mother chose my father instead of some bourgeoisie suitor."_ She heard him scoff on the line. _"The thought of leaving an Oswald something must have sickened him. At least Sophie had the Dubois eyes and the same features of my mother."_

She didn't understand everything he was telling her, but she could hear the wistful, melancholic tone. "Leon," she sympathetically murmured, "I think you need to go to sleep. We can talk about this when you're not drunk."

_"I'm not drunk," _he rumbled. _"I have a high tolerance."_

The fact that he wasn't really slurring his speech told her that, but she still felt uncomfortable. He was telling her things that he has yet to tell her sober. It felt like a betrayal of trust or like she was taking advantage of his looser tongue to find out things he wasn't normally comfortable saying.

"Take a nap and then call me," she soothed. "Don't worry about the time."

There was a long pause.

_"I think," _he drawled slower than normal, _"that you are too good for me."_ She had been stepping in the elevator when he said that. She furrowed her brows, getting ready to protest when he spoke again. _"But I don't want to leave you."_

"I don't want you to leave either," she pleaded, clutching her phone as if it were his arm, "so please don't say things like that."

_"...Even if Yuri was around?"_

"What?"

_"If he hadn't stolen the stage or had been a part of my sister's death," _he reiterated,_ "would you choose Yuri over me?"_

"Why are you asking me this?" she exclaimed.

_"You liked him before I came, according to your friends."_

Sora sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, unknowingly doing a habit Leon did when he was frustrated or annoyed. "Yes, I had a minor crush on Yuri before you came," she stated, knowing that if she didn't respond to that he wouldn't stop until she did. "But that doesn't mean I'd choose him over you." She pushed her floor button and the elevator doors closed. "Thinking about the 'what ifs' doesn't matter when the present is what's important."

The line was devoid of sound, even his breathing. She nervously bit her lower lip as she waited.

SL

Leon blankly stared out the window as he thought about what she said.

He had been about to take a sip of his drink when she spoke, but her voice halted him. The glass was placed back on the table of the room he was staying in at the estate.

_"...the present is what's important." _

_So is the future, _he added in his head.

And with those words, he thought about what was to come and the life he was to spend with her. In that moment, he did not recall what had happened some hours ago. He could only think of her and him and what a life they will have.

Words tumbled out of his mouth, declarations of love, loyalty, and fidelity.

Then, the words came out hushed as he spoke further of love.

He told her he would be gentle with her on their first night, promised her that he will make sure she enjoyed their union and she would want for nothing, especially in this regard. She had his heart, she had his mind, and she most definitely will have his body on their wedding night. She deserved better than him, but he was consumed by love for her and the love she gave to him.

If she wanted him, then he will not think any further on this matter.

He ended the call with a good night.

"G-Good night" she squeaked back and then the line was cut off.

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AN: Drunk Leon makes an appearance. My oh my!

Sorry if the family politics seemed boring or confusing. :P


	47. Chapter 47

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The little living room area of Mia's dorm had fluffy pillows and snacks all over the place.

Mia, Marion, and Rosetta were on the couch; Sora opted to sit on the floor. After hanging up, Sora quickly showered and then went over to Mia's place in the hopes that a Disney - filled with magic and catchy tunes - would distract her from the conversation she just had. It was working for a while, Sora sighed with her friends when the Prince waltzed with Cinderella, leading them to the outside gardens, but then she was brought out of the trance with the beginning of the duet, starting with Cinderella.

_'So this is love, hm-hm-hm hmmm...'_

Sora's cheeks tinted as Leon's voice rumbled in her ear, telling her that he loved her. As the song progressed, the faint pink on Sora's face turned into a flaming red firetruck. She clutched her pillow to her chest in the hopes that the overstuffed cushion will cover her face. She really didn't want her friends to see her face and ask her why she was blushing so hard.

_I don't even know what I'd say!_

Sora looked back at the screen as the two lovebirds were about to kiss when the clock struck twelve, shattering the romantic moment. '_When will I see you again?' _the Prince asked as Cinderella was torn between leaving and staying. Sora watched her flee the castle and the Prince desperately calling out to her, the guards getting on their horses to find the girl that stole their Prince's heart.

"I'll be back," Sora murmured as she got up.

The other girls distractedly nodded as they watched the drama unfold. Quietly, Sora closed the front door with a click and then went forward to lean her forearms on the railing. Her head bowed down as her face continued to stay flushed from the thoughts whirling around.

She was getting married soon which she was fully aware of. But what she hadn't really thought about was the wedding night until Leon brought it up in their phone call.

_"You have my heart, you have my mind transfixed," he had murmured in a low voice, the words coming out slow, "and you will soon have my body."_

A squeak slipped out of her mouth as she recalled his words. Her hand ran through her bangs and she was a little embarrassed to note that she was shaky. She wasn't stupid; she knew the general idea behind a wedding night, but it didn't make it any less intimidating.

_Do brides usually go through this?_

Or was she just the odd one?

"Cinderella probably never went through this," she huffed. "Ariel either."

Fictional or not, they seemed to be pretty sure about themselves at the end of their movies. They got with the loves of their lives, got married, and then lived happily ever after.

_Well, until a sequel's made,_ she distractedly added in her mind. _Why do sequels mean trouble?_

Familiar heels clacked towards her, making Sora look to her right. Sarah wore a blue breezy long skirt and orange spaghetti strapped top with her customary black heels. Seeing the grocery bags in her hands, Sora walked over to help.

"Thanks dear!" Sarah gave Sora a wink.

"No problem," Sora started as she grabbed a bag. Her smile faltered a little as she realized that Sarah has been married for a while and could probably answer her questions. However, when she made to ask, she recalled exactly whom was Sarah's husband and the words refused to come out.

Asking Sarah about wedding night jitters, knowing that her husband was Kalos, Sora's _Boss_, gave her pause.

_I really don't think I want to ask..._

"Soda?" Sora asked instead.

Sarah smiled. "I thought some root beer floats would be the perfect treat for a movie marathon." The two walked to Mia's dorm as Sarah talked. "I may not live here anymore, but it's nice to have some girl time every once in a while!" With that statement, Sarah whirled around with a sudden thought. "Do you have anyone planning your bridal shower?"

Sora blinked in surprise. "Oh, um, no. I kind of forgot about that."

"Don't worry then!" Sarah crowed. "I'll handle it!"

Sora blanched. She hadn't forgotten the strange 'help' Sarah has given her over the years. "You don't have to," she protested.

The diva waved the concern away. "It'll be fine! We'll have loads of fun, I promise!"

Sora was fidgety until she thought of an escape plan. If all else failed, she had Leon on speed dial. Despite the anxiety, she could count on him to bail her out of whatever scheme Sarah has her in - given that she still has a finger to dial, of course.

"...Ok," Sora said.

"That's the spirit!"

SL

Over in France, specifically at the estate of the late Francois Dubois, a certain silver haired performer was waking up to a pounding headache.

Leon groaned as he slowly sat up; he felt very out of it and even had to place his hands on the bed to help himself. _It has been a while since I've drunk enough to make me feel unbalanced. _He supposed he had more than he could handle last night, but did not further berate himself on it.

That is, until he spotted his phone.

He groaned again as he recalled pieces of what he said to his family. Then, he nearly punched himself for what he said to Sora. "_Fool_," he darkly muttered under his breath. It was much too soon to say such things to her. Granted, he was getting more bold with his flirtations, but they were nothing compared to the intimacy he spoke last night.

Perhaps it would have been fine the day of the wedding and maybe the day before, but not weeks before.

She was not delicate, but he didn't want her to feel pressured. He wanted her to feel comfortable with the idea, gradually come to terms with the coming physicality of their marriage. Words will join them, their signatures seal it, but a physical union will mark them as one in a corporal sense.

There was not a way to easily unmark such a union.

His face grew somber and then he ran a hand over his face. "_Fool," _he murmured, though it was not solely for his loose tongue. Past mistakes and poor choices came to mind and he felt the weight of it all as he sat on his bed.

_Never again._

A knock sounded on his bedroom door, a serving man seeing if he was awake.

"Yes?" he called out.

"Monsieur," the server said, "the food for the midday meal is served in the dining hall."

Leon turned to look at the clock. _1:25PM. _

He hadn't realized that he missed breakfast.

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AN: Moral of the story: don't drunk dial someone. XP


	48. Chapter 48

AN: I made this a long one so we can move on with the story line. Enjoy! :D

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Days passed at the Dubois Estate with Aimeric too nervous to approach his cousin.

After the mock toast some nights ago, he wasn't certain how much space Leon needed until it was safe for him to talk to his cousin again. He could see how Leon would be upset with his parents. After all, his father had been the loudest protester about Leon's inheritance and his mother was giving him the cold shoulder, prompting the other members of the family to do the same.

There were wounded prides all around and Aimeric didn't see this ending too great. _The sooner the signatures are over with, the better everyone's tempers will be. _

At least, that's what he hoped.

He sighed and looked out the window. From where he was, he could see the trimmed bushes and flowers outside; he could practically hear the light sound of water as the pitchers from the stone maiden statues poured out the water in the fountain. The place was grand, he knew of this and could see why inheritance could be so messy, especially when a person didn't get what they thought they would. However, as he saw the children outside playing with the water and enjoying themselves, he felt that they had the right idea. It didn't matter who technically owned the area they were playing around in.

They were family.

That was more than enough to have a good time.

Aimeric stood by the window for another moment and then made his decision. He straightened his spine, fixing a few buttons that had slipped out of their fastenings, and then he was off to Leon's room.

The walk was short, seeing as Aimeric had subconsciously been going in that direction already. Having recalled that his cousin tended to be on the phone, he knocked harder than usual.

"Cousin Leon? It's Aimeric."

Silence.

He waited a bit and then pressed his ear to the door. _I don't hear anything._ Just in case, he knocked again, but with no results. He lightly frowned. _It seems that he has left his room._ He thought about where his cousin would go in so big of a place, trying to draw from the little that he did know about his cousin.

_Well, he is an acrobat. Maybe he went to practice somewhere._

Aimeric walked on to find a servant in the hopes that there was a sort of gym or pool area on the estate grounds. Otherwise, Aimeric decided that he will look outside.

SL

Fortunately for Leon, there was a workout room.

There were some dumbbells but the highest was about 16 kgs. He passed on those for now, wanting to first work up a sweat and then cool down with some light weights. He stretched out first and then went over to the bench press. Usually, someone should be helping when a person bench pressed in case the exerciser tired out and can't push the bar back up in the holder before it landed on their neck, however, Leon was used to doing this alone. He went for a heavier weight first while he has the most energy and then decreased the weights as he tired out.

It was about half an hour later that some of other young men came into the workout room.

Curious, they took a quick look at how much he was bench pressing and they snickered. The so called famous acrobat was sweating over a mere twenty seven kilograms (60 lbs). How did such a weakling manage to become the leading male of a circus?

"It was probably for his looks," one guy murmured.

"Pretty boys get everything handed to them," sneered another, but purposefully in a louder voice. "They'd rather work on their appearance than doing any real work."

Some hooted at the insult, another commented that men shouldn't wear muscle tanks unless they actually had something to boast about - of course, he was referring to Leon wearing said tank and a pair of shorts.

Leon faintly heard, but deemed their talk as inconsequential.

He had something more pressing to think about than rising up to their childish games.

He's been holding off calling Sora for nearly a week now and quite honestly, he wasn't sure if he should simply leave it be. _I may do more damage further discussing what I said to her. _Given his fiancée's personality, there was a fifty percent chance that she put it behind her already, passing it off as a drunken phone call. On the other hand, the other fifty percent chance was that she was _still_ thinking about it and stressing over it.

So, should he leave it alone or talk to her about it?

He let out a long exhale as the bar clanged into its holder.

_If she's stressing out about it, _he thought as he sat up and took a drink from his water bottle, _it would be best to call her. _The only problem was that he wasn't certain if she was or not. He grabbed his towel and wiped his face. _But it is worth bringing up in the off chance that she is fretting over it._

Why was he so good at ruining things?

Over by the dumbbells, the small group continued to talk. Aimeric had just found the room when he caught some of the comments. He lightly frowned as he deduced that it was centered around his cousin, not knowing another family member that was a famous acrobat. The young men heedlessly pressed on with their insults and Aimeric couldn't tell if they knew he was there or not.

He doubted they cared that he could hear.

The small group kept an eye on Leon to see if he'd retaliate. However, Leon continued cleaning up his space without indicating that he heard or was upset about it.

Leon didn't care, but Aimeric felt offended for him.

With an inner strength he didn't know he had, Aimeric walked over to them to give them a piece of his mind. He had a scolding ready and his hand up to tap one of them on the shoulder when Leon came, stopping Aimeric with a hand to the shoulder.

"Leave it alone," Leon tonelessly said.

Aimeric frowned. "Aren't you upset about what they're saying?"

Leon gave a slight shrug. "It's hot air."

Aimeric was surprised to see Leon head over to the entrance. His cousin's confidence was inspiring; even his stride was self assured. Having been chubby all of his life, Aimeric was sensitive about what others said about him, especially about his appearance. To meet someone who could stand above that impressed him; even giving him hope.

_If someone is able to do that, then maybe I can learn to do it too - someday._

Instead of being jealous about something his cousin had that he didn't, Aimeric felt good in being able to look up to Leon rather than envious.

He was growing, if even just a little.

Though, the same could not be said of the small group.

Seeing that Leon and Aimeric - 'Crybaby Aimeric', of all peoples - walk away from them without a single comment back to them incensed them, though one more than the others.

Dark brown hair and eyes, the young man narrowed his eyes at their retreating forms, thinking of what would be a soft spot to the silver haired man, the one who dared to insult them all with a toast but not sign away his inheritance like Uncle Gifford had suggested earlier in the week.

It rubbed Dace the wrong way.

A snippet of gossip filtered in his mind and he smirked as he came up with an insult.

"I hear you're afiancéd," Dace said, his voice making Leon pause by the doorway, "Given the rumors between yourself and that one mademoiselle some years back," he lazily drawled, preening when he saw Leon's arm twitch slightly, "I take it that this new mademoiselle managed to back up her claims."

Aimeric gulped. His mother had been the one to spread that piece of gossip a few years back when Leon was still performing around Europe. From what he understood Leon paid a good amount to keep it from the papers, saying that the young woman's allegations had been false. They had only heard about it because the young woman had paid Aimeric and his family a visit, hoping to find Leon. The young woman lived in the same city and had paid an investigator to find Leon's family.

_"I trust this will remain within the family," Leon had stated, paying Aunt Monique a good amount when the woman none too subtly cleared her throat._

_"Anything for my nephew," she said as the money was slipped into her purse._

_Aimeric's father had been at work, so he had not heard about it. Aimeric had been about to enter the living area when he saw Leon there and quickly went back where he had came from, but still within hearing distance. Given the way their last meeting with Leon went, Aimeric had been shocked to find his cousin back only half a year later._

His mother had taken Leon's request loosely, sharing the incident with some of their relatives. And now Leon knew that Aimeric's mother had shared the gossip.

"Trying to make an honest woman out of her?" Dace quipped, "I didn't think you were that charitable."

Aimeric was sorely tempted to cross himself in a quick prayer for some divine intervention especially when the room suddenly dropped below freezing, Leon's stiffness the unmistakable source of the tense frigidity.

_This won't end well..._

In a flash, Leon whirled around and chucked his water bottle with lightning speed into the head of Dace. The young man yelled out as the force of the hit knocked him off of his feet and crashed onto the floor. Dace's companions helped him sit up, one of them quickly grabbing a towel when he saw blood coming out of Dace's nose.

"Y-You busted his nose!" one of them exclaimed, holding a _plastic _water bottle in his hands. With the extent of the injury, he had thought that maybe it was a metal canteen or something similar. But it was only a thin, ordinary plastic bottle.

"I'll bust more," Leon darkly murmured, looking straight at Dace, "if you ever suggest something of that nature again."

Leon glared at the others to make sure his threat was understood and then went out of the workout room, Aimeric following closely behind. When they were far enough from the room, Leon turned to look at Aimeric.

"Was it you or your mother that told the others?" Leon sharply asked.

"Uh, my mother," he stammered out at the sudden question.

Leon's eyes narrowed as he looked over Aimeric's face, judging whether he spoke falsely or not. Satisfied with what he found, Leon's brows relaxed and he started walking again.

"Cousin Leon," Aimeric snapped out of his daze, "does this mean you knew that I heard?"

Leon stole a glance back. "Yes." And then he continued walking.

Aimeric decided that he had enough 'talking' and 'bonding time' for the afternoon, veering down another hallway to the kitchen to grab something to snack on.

_I guess this means he trusts me._

SL

Leon came out of his shower, still thinking about what had happened.

He sat down on the bed and folded his hands in front of his face. _Dace said that about Sora because of her association with me._ Were there others that think poorly of her because of him?

The thought disturbed him.

He deeply sighed, closing his eyes as he thought of things he had overlooked before. In recollecting, he recalled when he first came to the Kaleido Stage and insulted Layla to Sora's face. She had been horrified that he had thought so poorly of Layla because of her own lack of skills. He hadn't thought twice about what he said to her then, having thought so of himself when Sophie and him were partners.

If he wasn't up to par, then people wouldn't think Sophie was.

It was why he trained day and night, trying to better himself for Sophie's sake.

The insult had worked for him, motivating him to push himself and gain more skills and experience. However, back then, he hadn't realized that not everyone could be motivated that way. Instead of goading Sora to do better, his insult only made her worse. She performed from the heart and he had stomped over it, breaking whatever confidence she still had left.

Looking back, he was surprised she didn't break completely.

_Is this how she felt, _he inwardly wondered, _when I attacked her old partner?_

This blame by association felt even more terrible than a personal attack. At least with those, the only person hurt is one's self. But for people to question Sora's dignity and innocence because of his own mistakes, for merely being his fiancée...

It was a pain that surpassed any physical injury he has ever had, even when he fell on the stage and broke bones.

SL

Sora stepped out of the bathroom, having washed up after her early morning run.

"Ok, let's see if it's today," she murmured to herself as she walked over to her cell phone.

She has been waiting to see if Leon will call her back, giving him a week to do so, however, during her jog, she realized that she really can't wait a whole week to clear the air about their last phone call.

_I'm calling him today if he doesn't._

She checked her phone and seeing that she hadn't missed any calls, she resolutely pressed two for Leon on her speed dial. _Here it goes..._ She bit her lip as she waited for him to pick up. When it went to voice mail, she deflated a little, but cleared her throat to leave a message.

"Hi Leon, it's Sora..."

SL

Dinner had been a little more exciting than previous nights, what with the whole issue of Leon breaking Dace's nose.

Dace's mother demanded that he leave while his father demanded payment for the medical bills. Aimeric had started to defend him, but Leon cut him off by throwing some cash their way. He'd rather not bring up the reason why Dace's nose was broken for fear of having others think the same of Sora as Dace had said.

The only good that came from the incident was his paperwork was to be done next.

The lawyer had been doing case by case individually, making sure that every family member getting something knew the legal stuff and deeds were passed over successfully. Dace's mother's complaints for Leon to leave prompted Leon's appointment with the lawyer to be bumped to the front, which was fine with Leon.

The sooner he left, the better.

As he entered his room, his phone beeped, indicating that he missed a call. Then, another sound came from the phone, signaling that there was a voice message. He picked it up, having a feeling that it was Sora. However, he assumed that her message had been a generic 'call me back' so he skipped it and rang her up.

_"Moshi moshi."_

Her greeting sounded a little shy, which made him smile a little. "You called me earlier."

_"Ah, yes. I did."_

He hmmed and sat on the bed. "I apologize if our last conversation made you uncomfortable."

_"Just a little," _she murmured,_ "but I stand by what I said."_

He tilted his head in confusion. "Said when?"

_"In my voice message." _Pause. _"You didn't listen to it?"_

"No."

There was an exasperated sigh. _"You're supposed to listen to voice messages before you call someone back! What if it's an emergency and I needed a quick response back? What if,"_ she rambled on, _"__I lost my voice and can't tell you why I called, which is why listening to your voice mail would be handy?"_

"Well, you have your voice still," he said, "so please repeat your message."

_ Pause. "Or you can just call me back after you hear it."_

"...Why do you not wish to repeat it?" She mumbled something out, but it was too faint for him to hear. "Repeat that a little louder, if you will."

She sighed. _"I said, 'It was hard enough saying it the first time!'"_

He considered what would be hard for a normally talkative person to repeat, keeping in mind that it was in relation to their last conversation and what made her nervous. "Sora," he drawled, "did you confess something to me, your husband to be?"

When she squeaked, he let loose a grin.

Well now, he was going to have to hear that voice mail _and _have her repeat it. "You can paraphrase it," he rumbled out in encouragement. He heard her make a soft whine and he could just picture her hand covering her face.

_"You're diabolical."_

"And I'm waiting."

_"...Fine," _she groused. _"I-I might have said...that for then, that particular day," _she paused. _"You were trying to reassure me of what's to come and I just wanted you to know that...I trust you." _She swallowed as her mouth dried, but she was glad she could repeat it. _"You said you love me, you'll be loyal to me and only me and I want you to know that the same goes for me."_

_"__I miss you and I love you,"_ she murmured,_ "...come back home."_

Both sides of the line were quiet.

"...Alright," he said, "I'll be home soon."

_"Good," _she started and then some mischief entered her voice, _"Don't forget to bring me a souvenir."_

He chuckled and laid back, getting himself comfortable for the next hour or so.

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AN: There might be a little bit left for the France trip, but the next chapter should be Leon coming home.

Finally, right? :D


	49. Chapter 49

AN: Ending the France trip now! Sorry, it took more chapters than I thought it would. XP

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With the deed to the chateau signed and transferred, his bags packed and his flight booked, Leon was ready to go tomorrow afternoon.

_Finally_.

Fortunately, he was back in Aimeric's household once the legal issues were handled. Staying at the estate of the late Grandfather Dubois for two weeks had been enough family drama to last him the rest of his life. Though, these sort of matters often didn't go as Leon hoped, so he wasn't counting on this trip being the last he's heard of his estranged family. All he needed now was for the even more estranged Oswald family - the few members from his father's side - to suddenly take an interest in him after more than a decade of avoidance.

Leon scoffed under his breath. _Like I need that sort of stress._

"Cousin Leon," came Aimeric's voice from behind. "Dinner's ready."

Leon absentmindedly nodded, his eyes still on the old photo of his mother as a young girl. Aimeric waited for Leon to say something in response to his comment, but when he didn't, Aimeric inwardly sighed and started to turn around.

"Aimeric," Leon quietly said, making his cousin pause. "Would it be alright if I take this photo?"

Aimeric turned around to look at the photo in question. His mother had put it up when Grandfather Dubois had come over for dinner in an attempt to reach his heart.

"Your mother was the favorite of the family."

Leon turned his head towards Aimeric. "I wasn't aware that spite was a form of favoritism," he said with a bite in his tone.

Aimeric sighed. "It isn't," he acknowledged as he ran a hand over his face. "I think the spite came hard _because_ she was the favorite. Grandfather had been deeply disappointed with her decision while the others resented the attention."

Leon hmmed.

Aimeric didn't know what else to say on the issue. "You can take the photo." He started to walk off again but then stopped once more. "I can take you to the airport tomorrow."

"Why?"

"Just because our parents didn't get along doesn't mean the cousins can't."

A critical grey eye narrowed on Aimeric. "You avoided us too."

Aimeric shifted on his feet. "I was an only child and then suddenly I had two cousins around my age in the house - two cousins that might as well have been strangers. I didn't know how to deal with such a situation." He let out a long breath. "Honestly, as I grew older, I didn't think you'd welcome my presence."

The critical eye stayed narrowed for a few seconds more and then eased.

"You learned because of Madeline."

Aimeric laughed. "My friend's been a positive influence in many ways."

Leon let out a faint smile, but from where Aimeric was, he couldn't see it. The silver haired performer unhooked his mother's photo and then turned fully to Aimeric.

"Would you care to come to a wedding?"

Aimeric blinked. He hadn't expected this happening; the surprise brought a smile on his face.

"Yours?"

Leon nodded.

"I would be honored."

SL

The next day, Leon fell asleep on the long plane ride back to Cape Mary.

Near the end of his slumber, he faintly heard the 'ding!' sound of the 'Fasten your seat belts' light and then the pilot telling the passengers of their descent. Leon debated about resting a little more when the plane shook from turbulence, waking him up fully.

_So much for that idea._

He stretched his arms above his head while turning his head from side to side. He was used to traveling by now but he was always antsy after getting off of a plane or long trip in a vehicle. The periods of stillness made his muscles itching for movement.

_Perhaps some practice on the trapeze will do the trick._

He was sure Sora would not mind that even though they're supposed to continue working on their fencing. He leaned back in his seat and took a look outside of his window. Now that the plane was descending the once puffy clouds were streaks of grey.

He wondered if Sora will meet him at the stage or his apartment. A half smirk formed as he recalled something from one of their phone conversations, having vowed to himself that he'd make her blush when he saw her again. It wasn't his fault the color looked so good on her.

He was looking forward to landing soon.

SL

At the Cape Mary airport, Sora stood by the exit gate Leon's flight was scheduled for.

Being 6 in the morning, she sported a light jacket for the chill but wore wedges and a short, vibrant blue skirt. The silver star earrings Leon had given her adorned her ears and she bit her lower lip in anticipation as some of the passengers came through the gate.

_I wonder if he'll know to look for me here._

She hadn't been sure if she could find a ride to the airport so early in the morning since Jerry tended to start work in the later morning. But Dr. Kate had to come in to her office early and had offered to drop Sora off. She sent him a text message as soon as she found out she had a ride, but Leon might have turned off his phone while on the plane.

If that was the case, well shoot.

She hoped he saw the message. _Like how he listened to your voice mail before calling you back? _her mind quipped. _Because that sure turned out to be embarrassing. _She pursed her lips. There was a good chance he didn't read her text. She craned her neck to see around the people and even went on her tip toes but without much success.

_I might have to page him. _

She could see it now: "_Paging Leon Oswald to the information desk. Your fiancee is too short to find you, even with wedges on. Please come and get her."_

"That's not humiliating," she mumbled to herself as she placed her hand on her forehead.

_I knew I should have made a sign._

Some scuffle of shoes sounded behind her, which was normal enough especially in a place like an airport. But when she felt warmth at her back and someone's arms wrapped around her waist, she started.

"You came here," a familiar voice murmured into her ear before he nuzzled her neck.

"Leon!"

"That is my name," he chuckled, "you are free to wear it out."

She laughed and turned around to give him a heartfelt hug. "I think the phrase ends with, 'don't wear it out.' "

His eyes closed as he felt the solidness of her against him as they hugged. "The phrase suggests that the speaker doesn't want the name repeated." He slightly pulled away from her to give her a grin. "But I _do _want you to say my name. Repeatedly and as often as you can."

Her cheeks tinted. "Conceited!" She lightly smacked his shoulder, knowing that he probably barely even felt it. "So," she said with her own grin. "Where's my souvenir from France?"

He looked at her for a few seconds and then he gave her a smirk.

Without warning, he tipped her back.

"Eep!" She quickly wrapped her arms around his neck as his arms held onto her, making sure she didn't hit the ground. Ready to scold him she parted her lips to chide him but he was still enacting his plan, covering her mouth with his own.

His lids half closed as he felt her soft lips and a shiver went down his spine when he brushed his tongue against hers. Her face was flushed from the very public kiss and the clapping of some of the people around them, a whistling sounding off here and there as well. But she could not deny that she was enjoying the kiss and so she pressed his head down closer to hers. He immediately slanted his mouth more, bringing out a soft whimper from her.

Just as quickly as he tipped her back, he straightened her up. They disconnected the kiss, though her arms stayed wrapped around his neck, making her feet dangle in the air a little.

"I know what that type of kissing is called," she said, quickly nipping his nose in reprimand, "That doesn't count as my souvenir."

"A pity," he murmured, "for I had planned to give you one for every day I was gone."

She smiled, her eyes glinting with his suggestion. "Well then, this must only be one gift out of several."

He blinked at her response, having thought that she would turn a darker shade of red at his words. But upon seeing the playful light in her eyes, he decided that this was a far better response than he had anticipated.

"Allow me to continue with the gifts," he rumbled out.

Before he could connect with her lips again, her cheeks darkened and she shook her head. "Not here," she muttered and then loosened her arms from around his neck. "Later will be better."

_And there's the red_.

Extreme PDA still made her blush like no other.

"How was the flight?" she asked, grabbing a hold of his laptop bag and then slipping her hand in his free one.

"Fine, except for some turbulence," he replied, picking up his luggage, "Though, I do have some other news regarding our wedding."

"Oh?"

He stared at the star earrings and then looked up at her eyes. "I've invited a cousin."

A big smile bloomed on her face and her eyes watered a little. She was aware that he was not speaking to his extended family so she knew how much of a step up this was for him. She brought his hand up and kissed it twice.

"I'm so happy for you!"

The affection she freely gave made his heart clench.

Her care and understanding of him was so deep, so vast that he was often in awe of her ability to love. Anyone who was once her enemy was now her friend, rivals worked side by side with her, and the lonely wolves on the outskirts, the lost souls such as himself were warmed and welcomed by her heart.

Despite her earlier protest, he leaned down and kissed her on the mouth. "I truly missed you," he murmured against her lips. "More than you will ever know."

She could not find it in her to chide him for kissing her a second time in so public an area. She could practically feel his ache for companionship that he suffered during his trip away and she only found relief in the coming happiness in his eyes. Instead of scolding him, she pressed her lips fully onto his and he pressed back with gratefulness and affection.

With such emotions making her head spin, how could she not kiss him?

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AN: He's finally back home! Yay!

PDA = public displays of affection.


	50. Chapter 50

AN: Ok! Now that Leon's back, let's move the story along!

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Weeks after Leon's return consisted of intense training to catch up with the show's release date sometime in the early summer plus the marketing for the show.

He was impressed with the level of skill Sora demonstrated during their first couple of days fencing again. She was even able to balance better than Leon on the long, moving platform. She had practiced with Anna, seeing as the tall young woman was cast as the main villain of the show despite her desire to be the gag swordswoman.

Anna's character, Don Malo, has a couple of fight scenes with Zorro.

Leon was amused with the final character's name, being the Spanish word for "Bad." But seeing as Esperanza meant "Hope" and Zorro meant "Fox", he supposed it worked for a swashbuckling show.

He snapped to attention as Sora's foil solidly connected with his, almost knocking it out of his hand.

"Focus," she playfully chided with a tap on his thin blade, "or else Esperanza's going to get the better of you, Zorro, and only halfway through the show."

His eyes lidded a little. He'd be lying if he didn't think she was attractive right now, what with the cocky tilt of her hip and her lips turned up in a teasing fashion. He twisted his blade around hers suddenly, causing her to squeak and back off before she lost her blade. Though, she came back soon enough with determination burning in her eyes.

How in the world was he supposed to focus solely on fighting when all he wanted to do was soundly kiss her?

He supposed he'll just have to wait for tonight.

SL

Later that evening, at Leon's apartment, the couple were back to their dinners at his place.

Leon opened up one of the bottles of wine he had bought on his trip as Sora cut up the chicken for dinner. He was relieved to have a companion for meals again, what with the awkwardness of the "family" dinners he experienced back in France.

He took a healthy dose of the wine from his glass and then walked over to her. "My cousin Aimeric left me a message."

"Oh?" she said as she quickly slid the meat onto the pan and lowered the heat when it started sizzling too much. "So will he be bringing a guest with him?"

Leon nodded. Sora smiled.

"I can't wait to meet him," she said and then went over to the sink to wash her hands. "He sounds like a decent guy."

Leon stepped behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist. He took a whiff of her light perfume and nudged his nose against her skin. "You've said that before." He nipped her neck a little, causing her to pause in what she was doing. "Are you trying to make me jealous?"

A coy smile appeared on her face. "Maybe."

Her eyes lidded a little as he continued placing love bites up her throat. It didn't escape her notice that he was very touchy these last couple of weeks. But seeing as she leaned back into him and tilted her head a little to make it easier for him to kiss her neck, she supposed she was wanting to be touched more than usual. The unexpected trip to France had pushed their wedding date into April instead of March, seeing as Leon had not known how long he would be gone.

_We would have been married at the end of this week, _she idly mused as he sucked on her pulse.

Her breath came out long. "Save some room for dinner." She turned her head to look at him, a playful light in her eyes. "You'll spoil your appetite."

He really liked this growing boldness of hers.

SL

Dinner was finished and the dishes in the dishwasher.

Leon had gone off to get something while she sat on the couch with a glass of wine. She was starting to get used to the flavor of wine thanks to her fiance, but she could still only handle so much of it. She held the photo of Leon's mother as a girl, seeing some similarities between him and her. _I wonder if there are any photos of my parents when they were kids_. She was very curious to look for them the next time she went to Japan.

In the middle of her musing, something was draped along her neck. She started a little upon the touch of something cool, but then she relaxed, realizing it was Leon.

"I thought the postcards and chocolates were my souvenir," she said, taking a quick look down.

"This is the last piece," he murmured as he put her hair to one side so he could clasp the necklace.

Once done, he placed a kiss along her neck and then let her hair fall back into place. She brought the chain up closer to eye level, seeing the little iridescent stones that were spaced out along the necklace. The lamp light made the stones gleam with multiple colors, bringing a smile to her face.

"It's beautiful," she said.

He hmmed a response, but her 'thank you' kiss quickly took precedence.

"You didn't have to get me this," she murmured between quick kisses.

"Think of it as a wedding present," he said, nipping her bottom lip with relish. He greatly missed the dinners at his place when he was in France. Some nights he wondered what she was making that night or if she was thinking about him as much as he did about her.

She gave him a long kiss, her hands along the back of his neck as his hands wrapped around her waist, easily hoisting her from her spot to sit on the back of the couch. The room was getting warm and his hands were moving along her legs.

"Leon," she murmured, her breath hitching when his thumbs grazed the insides of her thighs.

He's touched her before but right now, it felt different than other times. His hands were going a little higher than usual and his mouth was hotter and hungrier than before. All she could think of was that their wedding was close and his promise to her for their first night would be gentle and pleasurable and her cheeks flamed with the reminder, the heat spreading fast.

She shifted as her body felt restless, her knee accidentally brushing him where it shouldn't have.

He broke off the kiss with a low groan - the sound long, throaty, and masculine. She stared at his face, his eyes closed and his mouth slightly open. Her heart was beating fast and her mouth stayed dry no matter how many times she swallowed. Then his forehead rested on her shoulder and he took several long breaths.

She stayed still, some instinct telling her to not move or else the lion would pounce.

After a while, he lifted his head from her shoulder. "It's getting late."

"Ah. Erm. Yeah."

He stepped away from her, grabbed his keys, and opened the front door for her. She grabbed her coat and scurried to the front, only pausing to give him a peck on the cheek.

"Thanks for the gift."

His eyes were still hot, but they softened with her sweet kiss. Then, he closed the door after him and unlocked his car doors so he could drive her home.

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AN: Getting a little hot in here! :P

Updates for all stories will be less frequent, but I will finish them! Don't worry about that! :D


	51. Chapter 51

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The air was filled with tension as Sora attempted to catch her breath.

She was lucky to find such a good hiding spot behind some bushes instead of in a tree. Rosetta had made that mistake and she was quickly found with no where to go. _Poor Rosetta_. The girl might as well have been a stationary target, what with how many times she had been hit. Her teammate will be avenged, Sora was going to make sure of it.

With that in mind, she fixed her goggles and then checked her bullets, making sure she still had some ammo. Satisfied with what she had, she took a quick look around the bushes only to immediately duck back behind it.

Splattering thunks hit a tree and another person.

"Argh!" May yelled out, now covered with yellow and orange paint. "I'm your freaking teammate, Sarah!"

Laughter filled the air, the diva holding two paintball guns and extra ammo strapped to her hip. Her red bandanna kept her hair away from her face, the tight bun looking out of place on the cheery and carefree woman's usual loose hair.

"May," Sarah chided. "You should have kept a better eye out."

May threw her gun on the ground. "You're insane! Why are we on the same team if you just wanted to shoot me?!"

"Friendly fire," Sarah corrected with a laugh. "Now duck if you don't want to get another round of hits."

Sora had been too busy wondering how she never caught this side of the diva before and snapped out of it with the sound of Sarah's high chipped war cry, the little bush Sora was hiding behind instantly getting plummeted by Sarah's bullets. In a desperate last stand, Sora dashed out, swinging her gun in every direction as she shot.

"Son of a - " May started when Sora's blue and green bullets hit her but upon seeing Sarah's rapidly approaching form, May opted for taking cover instead of finishing her rant.

Sora eeped, quickly focusing her attention on Sarah.

By the way Sarah's face was set in annihilation, Sora wasn't so sure if her teammates could be avenged. The two let out a cry and let the paint balls fly, only stopping when there were no more bullets left in their guns.

"So," Sora panted, "who won?"

Sarah shrugged nonchalantly, not bothered with the fact that there was green and blue paint all over her body -Sora's form not looking much better. "No one!" she merrily replied. "We're all out!"

May slapped a palm to her forehead. "This is the weirdest bridal shower ever."

The other teammates came onto the open field now that the game was over. Sarah took a step towards Sora, the sudden action making everyone flinch. They had all seen how fierce a warrior the diva could be.

"Do you feel calmer?" Sarah asked Sora, lightly resting a hand on her shoulder.

Sora blinked up at her older friend. The wedding was tomorrow, so it was no secret that her nerves were frayed. She hoped Leon liked what she had planned for the reception, but she wasn't sure if it would be too much for him. Then, of course, there was the tension between them that was now near boiling ever since Leon came back from France. Their forever was going to start tomorrow and that fact was exciting and nerve-wracking.

And during the game, she hadn't thought about the stress.

"You know what," Sora mused as a smile appeared on her face, "I do feel better."

SL

In the evening, Leon drove himself and his cousin, Aimeric to downtown Cape Mary.

Aimeric looked out the window, taking a look at the restaurants and bars around the place. "Thank you again for the invite, cousin."

Aimeric arrived in the afternoon, his friend Madeline will be arriving tomorrow morning, seeing as she had some things to settle before coming for the wedding. Quitting your position as a maid could be a messy business, especially if you serve a family for several years. Madeline was a part of the new maid selection process, the final paperwork being done before the wedding.

Leon nodded to Aimeric's thanks. In truth, he was inwardly glad that his cousin could join him for his bachelor dinner. As far as he knew, it was going to be some drinks and food in a private room. He knew that some co-workers from the stage were coming, Ken and Kalos being among them, as well as Jerry the police friend of his fiancee. He only shared a few words with the policeman, but he thought the man to be friendly, as were most of Sora's friends. Those coming were mostly work related acquaintances or his fiancee's friends.

Bringing one family member made it seem less pathetic.

_I have no one to blame but myself._ He was aware that he had pushed potential friends away with his less than friendly attitude and now he was reaping the results of his poor behavior. _Just as well._ He didn't care for large parties anyways, but he hoped people didn't think poorly of Sora because of his lack of friends.

He couldn't help but wonder about such things ever since France.

He pulled the car into the pre-chosen restaurant parking. Aimeric came out and Leon did as well, though the car next to him gave him pause. The bulky policeman beamed a grin at the duo as he got out of his car. Leon tilted his head a little at the navy blue dress shirt and slacks, having only seen Jerry in his uniform.

"Hey Leon and friend!"

"Jerry," Leon replied. "This is my cousin, Aimeric Dubois."

Aimeric stepped forward and Jerry stuck his hand out for a handshake. "Great meeting you!"

Jerry laughed, and then stuck a hand out to Leon. Leon thought it was strange, but put his hand out as well. Jerry casually stepped forward a little more, his voice lowering so that only Leon could hear.

"If you make her cry I will arrest you."

"If I make her cry," Leon lowly murmured back, "I'll let you."

Jerry took a quick scan of Leon's face and then chuckled. "You're alright." Then he let go of Leon's hand and gave him a hearty thump on the back. Leon managed to not stumble forward from the force of the pat on the back.

Aimeric looked a little confused about what happened, but did not comment on it.

"Ah, shall we go in?"

SL

Night settled in, the bridal shower relocating indoors.

Sora's living area was filled with sleeping bags and the table crowded and stacked with gifts. Now in pajamas, Sora sat in the middle of her group of friends, a half eaten slice of ice cream cake next to her. She pulled out the wrapping paper of her latest gift, the bright pink and white tissue being set aside.

"Fuzzy slippers!" Sora giggled as she ran a hand over the bright blue material. "I'll have to thank Marion tomorrow."

Anna came with a tray of little glasses filled with red. "Get your jello shots!"

May downed the rest of her flute of pink champagne and then grabbed two shots, placing one by Sora. Mia, meanwhile, grabbed another set of gifts for Sora to open.

"There's no card for this one," Sora mused aloud, but continued unwrapping the medium sized box.

Rosetta took a sip of her ginger ale and then leaned over to see what the gift was. There were some presents from co-workers and fans that had passed Jerry's safety approval thanks to some scanner from the police station.

"It's fuzzy..." Rosetta trailed off as she saw more of the gift.

"Cuffs?" Sora quizzically finished as she lifted the pink handcuffs out of the box.

Some laughter and "ooo's" sounded off.

"I wonder who gave that!" Anna chortled.

Mia immediately turned to May. The young woman had been laughing, but upon seeing Mia's look, she tried to calm herself down enough to answer.

"Not - " May haltingly laughed out, "mine! But it should have been!"

Sora's lips pursed as she looked at the gift. "Why would someone give me handcuffs?"

Mia grinned. "Oh Sora, you're too much sometimes!"

Sarah leaned forward as she giggled. "I can take those off your hands, darling."

Without protest, Sora handed them over, then when she saw some sort of cop outfit underneath some tissue, she began to hand Sarah the box as well, but Mia interrupted the exchange.

"Keep that for later," Mia said with a wink.

"Ok..." Sora answered, but it was clear that she did not understand why.

_She'll get it eventually, _went through her friends' minds - except for Rosetta, of course.

Mia handed Sora a two tone pink striped bag and the redhead opened it, pulling out something silky. Sora blushed at the way the rather short nightgown was cut and the high slits on both sides intended to expose the thighs.

"That's my gift," May smirked, pointing to the Victoria's Secret bag. "There's more inside."

"I'll, erm, look later."

SL

Back at Leon's bachelor dinner, the room was filled with laughter.

It took a while, but Leon found himself relaxing. There were some toasts, congratulations given, and handshakes. Food, drink, and talk were in abundance and he was even comfortable enough to share some stories.

"Is it true you became famous as a teenager?" One co-worker asked.

"Yes," Leon said with a nod, "though in the later end of those teen years along with my partner."

"Wow," one guy lifted his drink in a salute. "I'm 22 and just barely have a fan group outside of the elementary range."

"Mr. Leon started outside of the elementary range," another guy quipped.

Laughter filled the air. Leon gave a half smirk at that, but upon seeing Ken's face a couple of seats away on his left, the smirk waned. He had noticed that the carrot top was in a sour mood, however, he decided that if it was about him marrying Sora, there was nothing he could do to calm the young man.

But he will try later on tonight, seeing as Ken was a close friend of Sora's.

SL

Her friends were settling into their sleeping bags.

Sora went into her room to grab the gift her aunt - now mother - had given her during the New Year's visit to Japan. _She said to open it at my bridal shower._ What with the somewhat strange gifts she has received, she was a little nervous about what her gift was. After some rummaging, she found the long rectangular box and placed it on her bed. She untied the ribbon and then set it aside.

_Here it goes_. She lifted the lid up and moved the tissue paper aside.

"Oh," she softly said.

Her fingers trailed over the beautiful embroidary of white carnations along the collar of the blush pink kimono. A smile made its way on her face as she lifted the kimono out only for the smile to falter as the moonlight outside shone through the material.

"It's see through!" she blanched.

How was this supposed to cover anything?

As soon as she thought that, her mind added, _It's not. _Her cheeks flamed. She didn't know what was more embarrassing: the fact that her mother gave her this or that she was somewhat curious what Leon's reaction would be to her wearing this.

Flustered, she put the kimono back inside its box.

SL

Cabs were called for those who could not drive.

Aimeric waited inside Leon's car as he approached Ken. Luckily for Leon, his cousin soon fell asleep, giving him some privacy for the exchange that was to come. Given the fact that Ken was waiting for Leon outside the restaurant, Leon had a feeling that this was not going to go over easily.

"You're a fake," were Ken's first words to Leon when the groom-to-be approached him. "A conman, a sleazeball!"

"I have not always been a terrific person," Leon dryly agreed, " however, I do not see how those words fit my character today." He crossed his arms. "May I know why you say such things now?"

Ken's hands were clenched. "Everyone says you've changed. Transformed into a new man. I don't buy that."

Leon quietly waited. He was certain Ken had more to say.

"I found this in the Kaleido Stage mail," Ken pulled out a handwritten letter, letting Leon see what was written. It was not a recent letter, which made Leon look up.

"This is from four years ago."

It was Ken's turn to cross his arms. "I was cleaning out Kalos' office. But it doesn't change any of the facts." Ken stepped up into Leon's space. "You fathered a child."

Leon's eyes narrowed. "Someone _claims_ that I have."

"...Is it true?"

"I don't see how that is any of your business."

Ken scoffed. "You're going to marry my friend. I think that makes it my business."

"I've taken care of it," Leon finally murmured. "That's all you need to know."

Ken scowled for a long time. "You don't deserve her."

Then he walked off.

Leon sighed. _That's one thing we agree on.__  
_

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	52. Chapter 52

AN: The wedding day! Yay! :D

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Aimeric nervously walked down the hall of the small building to the bridal side of the dressing rooms. He may not know his cousin for that long, but he could tell that the groom was pensive and broody - more so than usual.

_This is not good._

Weddings shouldn't begin in such a way, especially with the groom aimlessly staring out the window and not even giving so much as a head nod to the bride when she walked by said window to get inside.

Aimeric halted in his steps when one of the bride's friends came into his view.

"Excuse me!"

The young woman with black hair turned around, a pretty floral bouquet in hand.

SL

Sora sat patiently as her mother added some finishing touches to her hair.

Yume was close by, playing with the flower petals in her basket.

"Keep them in the basket, Yume-chan," her mother lightly scolded as she caught Yume sprinkling a few on the floor. The little girl responded back in Japanese, carefully picking up the petals one by one and putting them back inside the basket. Midori turned her attention to Sora's hair once more, making sure that the special pin with white and red little flowers stayed in her hair. Yume's childish singing filled the room as mother and bride stayed silent.

"Nervous, Sora-chan?" Midori asked as she saw Sora's reflection in the mirror. Sora's light frown eased and she looked at her mother via the mirror.

"A little," Sora admitted, "but I'm more worried about Leon."

Her mother hmmed. She had noticed that the groom had not responded to Sora's wave earlier.

"Should I see him," Sora asked, this time turning her head to look directly at her mother, "to see if something's wrong?"

Midori tugged the pin a little to make sure it didn't budge. "Should you?" Sora pouted a little at the lack of advice given. Midori laughed. "All I mean is that you know him better than I do, Sora-chan."

Sora thought that over. Her mother meanwhile straightened the collar of the kimono and smoothed it down.

"You're getting married," Midori murmured, her eyes watering a little behind her glasses. "You'll be left to make your own decisions instead of asking us." Midori laughed a second later at her statement. "As if you haven't been doing that already!"

Sora laughed too. She's been away from her family for years, her move to America having been her decision.

Midori kissed her forehead. "Now, you'll need to depend on each other," she said as she affectionately tucked a stray strand of hair behind Sora's ear. "You'll need to trust one another, even within the silent moments."

_But can I interrupt the silence? _Sora wondered. _How can I tell when I need to wait or act?_

Rapid knocks sounded on the door. "Sora, it's May."

The redhead called out for her to come in.

May walked in and closed the door, Sora's bouquet in one hand. "Hey, you know Leon's cousin from France? Adam or something?"

"Aimeric?"

"Yeah, that one," May dryly replied, "as if he has another cousin here."

Sora winced a little at the blunt response, especially when her mother turned to look at her. _Nice one, May. _And she had been saying how much nicer May was becoming. Her mother probably thought Sora was delusional.

"Anyway," May continued on quickly, "he said he thinks there's something up with Leon. Do you want me or Rosetta to go and check up on him? Or maybe send your dad or Jerry to talk to him?"

Sora bit her bottom lip. _I think this is a time for action._ "No, I'll go."

SL

Leon idly stared outside with his hands in his pockets.

Today is his wedding day. He knew he should be feeling pretty great, especially since they were going to be married soon in some ten to fifteen minutes. His cousin will be there, Sora's parents and sister and some of their mutual acquaintances, but not too many. Sora had been understanding in his desire for their ceremony to be on the small side, seeing as he liked his privacy when it came to personal issues. He was lucky to have such a sympathetic bride that knew him and accepted him.

_But does she really know me?_

Ever since France and then Ken's accusation after the bachelor dinner, Leon was wondering if his silence regarding touchy issues somehow misled Sora into thinking he was someone he wasn't. He was a secretive being, that he knew. What if the things Sora didn't know about him were things that would make her not want to marry him?

Was he really a fraud, a conman and sleazeball for not speaking up about such things?

He considered it a part of his past, so he had not thought about what happened shortly after Sophie's death. In truth, he didn't want to think about that time in his life. He had been lost in grief and rage, though it didn't excuse his actions. He had done wrong. He knew that now.

_Fool._

In a moment of insecurity and regret, he wished he hadn't behaved as if the future no longer mattered. He eventually snapped out of it, especially with the near scandal that was kept from most news outlets. It had been a wake up call for him, making him realize that his unchecked actions were causing harm.

Though, his decision to lock up his feelings only resulted in his apathy towards potential partners.

He owed the Kaleido Stage many things, especially Sora Naegino.

A somewhat timid knock broke through his thoughts. "Leon?" his fiancee called out, "Are you in there?"

_Speaking of Sora..._ "Yes." He walked closer to the door. "Do you need something?"

Pause. "Ah, I was actually going to ask you something similar to that."

Leon gave a slow blink at the door. "No. I do not require anything."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Oh." He heard some rustling of fabric on the other side of the door. "Well, um ok, I just thought I'd check."

He waited but did not hear her retreat.

"Are you _completely _sure?" she asked again, "I mean, it doesn't have to be something big or anything. It would be understandable if you're nervous or your tummy's all squirming around like you ate something too spicy - my mom probably has Tums if your stomach is unsettled - or you're sleepy -"

He half chuckled, the sound cutting her off. "I am fine," he reassured, but then his amusement died down as his earlier thoughts resurfaced, "physically, at the very least." He stepped closer to the door, his feet a few inches away from it. "What about you?" he murmured quietly, "Are you ready for today?"

"Well, yeah, my hair's done, my outfit's on and May got my bouquet - "

"Are you certain," he reworded his question when she misunderstood it, "that you want to go through with this?"

His forehead lightly rested on the door, Sora's frown deepening when she heard him sigh. Her eyes prickled a little as his words got her thinking. "Are you asking because you don't want to?"

"No," he quickly straightened up, "that is not what I meant."

He made to open the door, seeing that the lack of seeing each other's face was making this conversation difficult. However, when Sora saw the door about to open, she squeaked and pulled on the knob to shut the door.

"No peeking!" she scolded, "We can't see each other dressed up before the ceremony!"

He should have figured that was the reason why she did not enter his dressing room. He'll just have to watch his words and tone then, so that she did not misunderstand him any further.

"There are things I have yet to tell you," he restarted, "Things that I had done in Europe."

Pause. "Do you regret them?"

He ran a hand down his face. "Yes, but...I cannot take them back."

She was silent for a moment. "Ok."

"Ok what?"

"Ok, you can tell me."

"...I can't now." He felt like such a coward in this moment.

She lightly laughed. "I didn't mean right now. You can tell me later when you're ready."

"Then do you want to postpone the wedding? I understand if you do."

It was her turn to sigh. "Leon," she tsked. "Do _you_ want to postpone the wedding? Answer truthfully." Her voice grew playful as she added, "I'll bring Jerry over with a polygraph if I have to."

He gave a small smile at that. "I wish to marry you. Today."

"Good," she murmured, "Because I want to marry you too."

This time the door opened a little, but not by Leon. He watched as the door opened a crack and her hand slipped through. He looked at her neatly trimmed nails and the peeking of a red kimono sleeve scrunched up at her elbow as she blindly extended her hand out to him.

He grabbed her hand and placed it on the side of his face.

"See you soon," she said, her thumb rubbing his cheek.

His eyes closed as he took comfort in her affection, placed a quick kiss on her palm before she withdrew it and the door closed once more.

He breathed out long, dispelling the last of his hesitations.

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AN: Have to split this up! Sorry about that! I thought that it has been too long since I've updated.


	53. Chapter 53

AN: Wedding day part two!

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The gardens of the park they liked to visit was partly closed off for their wedding ceremony.

Since there was still daylight, the usual strings of lights were not on, but Sora had been quick to think of a solution. Strings of folded golden cranes, exactly 1,001 as per the Japanese custom, hung where the lights were. The crane is a symbol of longevity, prosperity and for good fortune. Many people from the stage volunteered to help with the folding, making the daunting task not quite as intimidating as it did when Sora first told Leon about it.

He only looked at the canopy of cranes for a moment before his bride's presence kept his focus.

A beautiful red kimono adorned her form, white and red flowers flourishing up along the side of her body and on the sleeves. Her white sash was tied off with a red rope of some sort and a Japanese hair pin with white and red flowers dangled from the side of her neat bun. As she came closer with her father next to her, Leon could hear a light tinkling sound as the porcelain flowers hit each other as she walked. A small veil covered her face, stopping at the bottom of her neck and he gave a small smile when her dark eyes darted up to him, blushed as she saw his form in a black tux, and then kept her eyes down on her bouquet of white flowers and small red and pink tea roses.

In front of Sora and her father, Yume took her time spreading out petals for the bride's way.

Next to Leon, Sora's mother leaned close to speak, wearing a kimono as well. "The white anemone flowers on the kimono stand for sincerity." Midori smiled as Leon looked over her daughter's kimono again. "And the red camellias mean, 'in love'."

That last statement had the groom looking to his soon to be mother-in-law and then back to his bride.

"Thank you," he murmured as he looked at Sora with renewed affection.

Midori gave a small nod. "Of course."

Yume ran out of petals and simply bounded over to her mother, swinging her empty basket. Midori moved over to the other side as Sora and Atsushi came, Sora now standing next to Leon with her parents on either side of them. The justice of the peace stood in front of the couple, his officiator's book open and he spoke out to those witnessing the union.

Leon idly nodded to something the man said, but his attention was solely on her.

Sora's eyes were demurely looking at her bouquet as she felt Leon's gaze on her. She could feel her cheeks burning and hoped that the face veil was hiding most of it. _Get a hold of yourself!_, she inwardly chided. What kind of bride spends the whole ceremony avoiding her soon-to-be-husband's face?

She took a breath in and lifted her eyes up to him.

Her mouth dried as she admired the tux and the white flower pinned to his suit. _He really can pull off anything. _He could probably get away with a pink tux and still look dashing in it. She made contact with his eyes, seeing the amusement dancing in them. She was about to purse her lips but the humor was quickly overcome by something incredibly warm, heating grey eyes to smothering hot.

She swallowed a few times, but her mouth would not moisten.

"...and now the couple may share their written vows to each other," the justice of the peace declared with a gesture of his hand towards Sora first.

_Drat!_ She uselessly swallowed again.

"Leon," she said, her voice cracking a little as her fingers trembled with the unfolding of her letter to him. She cleared her throat, quelling the urge to smack him when a half grin formed on his lips. "My husband to be, my partner on the stage and soon in many other wonderful ways..." she nervously bit her lips for a second, not knowing why she was having such stage fright at the moment, "I did not like you when we first met," those around shortly laughed at that and she used that time to take a calming breath in, "but I can assure you that is not the case anymore." She looked at her letter, seeing the pre-planned words and then took a look at his face.

She folded the paper back up, tucking it back in her white _obi_ and kept her gaze on him.

"You make me feel alive like I've never felt before," she said, "and that's saying a lot, considering how much I love living." Her heart swelled with her emotions, and she decided to plow through, whether she said the most stupidest things or not. Her heart was not always eloquent, but it was impassioned and true, especially when she was around him.

And that's what she wanted to show to him.

"You're stable when I'm not; you're the warmth when I'm cold." She reached her hand out to him, not caring if she shouldn't be touching his hand right now or not. "You've given my heart a new reason to beat."

"I can't wait to wake up with you in the mornings and learn any annoying habits you may have because I haven't discovered them all yet." She shrugged at him as her eyes welled with moisture. "What more can I say other than this?"

His eyes looked at her with such longing, her heart ached.

"I want to be buried with you," he murmured, his hand squeezing hers.

She blinked at the curious statement and then comprehension dawned, tears soon falling down her face. She hadn't thought about that scenario before. The fact that he had and he was giving up being buried with his family said so much to her that she cried even more.

It was the most touching statement she ever heard from him.

"I wanna be buried with you too!" she choked out, her hand with the bouquet going under her veil to wipe her face.

Friends and family were silent, except for the squeaking of May's chair as she leaned over to Mia. "What the heck is he talking about?" May half whispered to Mia.

Mia shrugged. "I'm guessing he means when they die."

"How the hell is that supposed to be uplifting?!"

Anna, Marion, and Rosetta immediately shushed May.

SL

Ken shifted uncomfortably in his chair as the ceremony went on.

He doubted Leon told Sora about the letter from four years ago, which made Ken angry enough to want to speak out. He's seen it on tv when the justice of the peace said, "If there is a reason for these two not to be married, speak now or forever hold your peace" and someone runs in yelling "I object!," causing such a stir.

Though, in those scenarios, the guy usually ends up confessing his feelings to the bride and the girl turns to him, abandoning her groom for the guy that would dare interrupt her wedding.

...Not that Ken was expecting that to happen.

He'd rather not embarrass Sora or her family in public by objecting to the wedding; plus, he doubt it would be as epic and dramatic as in the movies. But it was a big issue. Ken felt like he would be justified in doing it.

However, he kept seeing how Sora couldn't take her eyes off of Leon and how Leon continued holding her hand after their vows. _I should speak up. It would be the right thing to do. _Leon was lying to her by withholding the truth about his life. He couldn't allow such a thing to go unremarked.

"...speak now or forever hold your peace."

Sora sniffled a little, causing Leon to pull out the silk handkerchief in his front pocket. It must have been expensive, especially since it was more of a decorative piece than anything. But that didn't matter to Leon as he handed it over to his bride and she gratefully, but sheepishly took it from him and carefully wiped her eyes and nose.

Speaking up would be for her well-being.

...Right?

Ken's justification ebbed the more he looked at them, a big blow landing when Yume gave Leon a little wave to which Leon gave a small nod of the head back despite it being his wedding.

He's seen them progress in their relationship as the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months. Despite May's advice, he watched them from time to time when he happened to spot them. Stolen kisses under the sun and moon, touches of the hand and face, murmured words and blushes, and the moments of silence when they just sat down somewhere, taking in comfort from the knowledge that the other was there.

_You better take care of her,_ Ken inwardly sighed as he sat back in his chair.

He's been keeping his thoughts to himself for this long; he should have little difficulty continuing to do so.

SL

Aimeric stood off to the side as he idly rubbed his fingers over two rings.

Leon had asked him to be the one to hold them for him and Aimeric had been more than honored to be entrusted with them. He looked down at the bands, both gold with some silver streaming around it artfully. Sora's had the diamond from her engagement ring and then two little diamonds embedded on either side of the main gem, the original engagement ring having been melded with the gold wedding ring.

At least, that's what he heard from the bride.

She seemed to be very nice and chatty. The bride reminded him of Madeline in more ways than one. Unsurprisingly, the two got along pretty well when the introductions took place. Aimeric took a look over at his friend, her dark hair pulled back into braids in the front while the rest was left loose. He idly followed the path of a long wavy piece when his cousin called out to him.

He snapped out of his thoughts upon seeing everyone in the front - including little Yume - looking expectantly at him.

_They must need the rings now. _How embarrassing!

SL

Rings were exchanged, words of fidelity and love given.

Now they were finishing up the 'San San Kudo.'

Strong sake was poured out for the new couple as well as Sora's parents. The first three drinks represented the three couples: the bride and groom, and their parents. Atsushi stood in place of Leon's parents while Midori stood for Sora's. The second round of sake represented the three human flaws: hatred, passion, and ignorance."Ku", meaning 9, is a lucky number in Japanese culture and "do" means deliverance from the three flaws.

After the sips, the justice of the peace had the couple and the chosen witnesses sign the wedding certificate.

"I now pronounce you 'man and wife'," the man loudly declared with a big smile as the needed signatures were finished. "You may now kiss the bride."

"Gladly," Leon murmured as he pulled back Sora's face veil and let it sit back on her bun. Her eyes shined with happy tears as he bent down and kissed her.

Clapping and hoots sounded. May let out an obnoxious whistle.

Sora gave a watery laugh as Leon pulled away from her. "You got some lipstick on you."

He kissed her again. A little lipstick wasn't going to stop him.

SL

SL

SL

AN: So there should be one more chapter for the wedding day. I've been typing it up so it shouldn't be that long of a wait. :3


	54. Chapter 54

AN: Here's a treat for you all! Wedding day part 3! :D

SL

SL

SL

The couple entered the limo - courtesy of Mr. Kenneth - for the ride to the reception hall.

It was not a long trip, but it left the couple with the privacy that they needed after their hearts had been poured out to the other. Before leaving the gardens, Sora had changed into her reception dress, which was a simple white dress with a sweetheart neckline. She had chosen it with dancing in mind as well as keeping the purchase below a certain budget since she had spent a good amount of money on the wedding kimono. Her friends in the wardrobe department added some pretty bead work to the bodice of the plain dress, making it stand out more. Around her neck she wore the necklace that Leon had given her from France as well as a pair of hanging earrings that closely matched the stones.

Leon had smiled upon seeing the necklace, but that was not what had his attention at the moment.

No, her slender neck was a much more delectable focus.

From the back of the limo, Leon's hands steadied her as she sat on his lap. "Leon," she mewled, the sound breathy as she peppered the side of his face with kisses. "I love you. So much." Her lashes fluttered as he sucked on a sensitive spot. "But don't you dare leave a hickey," she half moaned.

"We're married," he murmured against her neck and then sucked some more.

She nipped his jaw in reprimand, but the action only caused his eyes to lid even further. "What am I supposed to do with you?" she exaggeratedly sighed as he continued down her neck. He paused for a moment, and she felt his lips move in either a smile or a smirk.

"I can think of a couple of things," he murmured against her neck.

Her cheeks heated up. _Definitely a smirk. _"Not in the back of a car!"

He chuckled and then lifted his face to hers. "Whatever are you thinking of, my blushing bride?" When her face turned a darker shade of red, he laughed. "Impatient for tonight, are we?"

She smacked his shoulder. He grinned and leaned forward for a kiss.

SL

The reception was in one of the ballrooms of a hotel the stage uses for the opening night parties.

Seeing that it was for the leads of the stage, the hotel owner had given them a discounted price along with the flower arrangements. Sora had been grateful for the unexpected gift, even offering to do a meet and greet with her husband sometime free of charge. Leon's face had been blank, but the slight twitch of his left eye let her know that he wouldn't be looking forward to it, however, when he didn't object or offer something else instead, she took it that he thought it was a decent exchange for the discounted price.

Really, all they had to do was show up and sign things.

Besides, it was her payback for the hickey he left on her neck.

She was just glad she had spotted it before exiting the limo and managed to arrange her hair to cover it over. Instead of a full bun she now only had half a bun so that the loose hair would cover the mark.

In recollection of the hickey, she pinched his arm as they visited the tables of the guests.

"What was that for?" he lowly asked as they walked to the next table.

"For the same thing as the last time I pinched you."

A half smirk formed on his lips. She pinched him again.

"Congratulations cousin!" Aimeric exclaimed, reaching a hand out to shake Leon's hand. Meanwhile, Madeline stood up and kissed both sides of Sora's cheek in congratulations.

"How do you like the dragée?" Madeline asked.

Sora looked down at the little containers of almond covered chocolates on the guests' tables. "I've not tried them yet, but thank you for making them! I'm sure they're delicious!"

"Oh you flatterer!" Maddie gushed. "Tell me so when you've tried it!"

A server with a tray of steaming bowls came by and placed the dishes in front of Aimeric and Madeline.

"Let us know what you think of the _soupe à l'oignon," _Leon said.

Maddie half smirked. "So you decided to do the modern way?"

Leon merely grinned.

When they left their table to go to the front, Sora leaned into Leon. "What did Maddie mean by 'the modern way?'"

Leon continued walking with his wife's arm looped around his as he explained. "The old French tradition used to have the leftover drink of the reception gathered into one container as well as the food and the guests would bring this to the couple's chambers in the middle of the night, clanging things and making noise."

"Why would they bring food and drink in the middle of the night?"

Leon looked at his bride in the corner of his eye. "The thought process was to revitalize the couple. Keep their energy up."

She owlishly blinked at him as she thought about it. He amusedly watched her eyes widened with enlightenment, a dark blush staining her cheeks as she realized why they would need the energy at night.

"O-oh."

"The more modern tradition is to have an onion soup at the reception."

"Ah." Her eyes pointedly avoided his gaze, embarrassed that her curiosity led to such a topic.

In a moment of mercy for his wife, he broke the silence. "You said you have a surprise for me."

She perked up upon that recollection. "Yes, it's over by my family's table."

With a tug of her hand, he followed her, and upon seeing his in-laws he greeted them, Yume as well. When Midori saw Sora's gaze on her, she gestured to the side where a small clothed table with matches and two tall candles sat.

Sora pulled Leon over to it, hoping he liked the idea.

He took a curious look at the incense and flowers surrounding the candles, the name 'Naegino' etched in one candle. He stilled when he saw 'Oswald' etched in the other.

"They're memorial candles," Sora reverently said. "They're usually lit for big events in remembrance of those passed. It's kind of like having them with us." She took two long match sticks out and held one out to him.

After a few seconds of silence, he took one.

He struck the match and lit the Naegino candle. She smiled, her eyes a little watery with the careful way he carried the flame to the wick and the little head bow he did.

"Thank you," he murmured to the candle. Without her parents, he wouldn't have her as a wife.

Following his lead, she struck her match and carefully lit the Oswald candle. "Thank you for watching over him," she half whispered. With so much strife and heartache, she was sure he couldn't have gotten this far without at least some family member looking out for him.

If she had to guess, she'd say Sophie had been the most diligent.

She couldn't imagine how much regret Sophie had as she lay on her deathbed, knowing that she was leaving her brother alone in the world and without having finished the Angel's Maneuver.

Sora was sure that Sophie made him promise to do it in order to give him a reason to live.

_I'll look after him. You can rest now, Sophie-san, and your parents too. _She leaned against him, her arm wrapping around his narrow waist as she watched the candle flames flicker a little.

She smiled when his arm went around her.

SL

The traditional toasts were carried out around dinnertime.

_La Coupe de Mariage_, an engraved silver two handled cup sat at the newlywed's table. Sora looked at the floral designs on the silver before Leon lifted it up to her, offering her one handle. She took it, and with him holding the other, they drank at the same time.

Or at least attempted to.

Sora eeped as some of the champagne spilled onto the tablecloth.

He handed her a napkin as some people laughed at her clumsiness. "I have a feeling I'll need to carry napkins whenever we go out."

She took the time to smack his arm before taking the offered napkin. "Watch it or else I'll 'accidentally' step on your toes for our dance."

He half shrugged. "Knowing your level of dance skills, it's inevitable."

She pouted. He smirked.

In the middle of this, the wedding cake was wheeled out. The sugar flowers and laced icing had some people exclaiming. Sora stood up with Leon as they made their way to cut the cake.

_I should have put a troll at the top of the cake with me_, she inwardly groused as Leon picked up the wide cake knife. She laid her hand on his and together they cut the first slice, revealing the raspberry middle filling of the vanilla layer. A flash of a camera let her know that some of her friends were taking photos. As Leon laid the slice on a plate and picked up a piece to feed to her, an idea came to her.

With a secretive smile, she picked up a piece as well to give to him.

Leon prepared himself for her to smear it in his face, but he was surprised that she didn't. As he chewed his piece, he gave Sora her piece of cake and he flinched a little as she bit his fingers.

With the continued flash of the camera, she knew her friends got Leon flinching.

_Gotcha! _She was going to blow that picture up and frame it.

SL

Sora stood with her back to the crowd of single ladies with her wedding bouquet in hand.

"Here I go!"

With a quick toss over her head, her bouquet sailed through the air as women jumped up in their heels to grab it. She heard some squealing and shrieks and then she turned around, seeing that Madeline had caught the flowers.

"I got it!" she waved it in the air.

_I wonder who the future groom will be. _Sora looked around and smiled when she saw a faint pink on Aimeric's cheeks.

Now that would be a nice beginning.

"Ok Sora," Mia said as she walked over to her. "We need you to sit over here."

"Here?" Sora pointed to the chair in the middle of the dance floor.

"Yes!"

Sora innocently sat down. "Ok. So now what?"

With a mischievous grin, Mia said. "Now Leon will take your garter off."

Sora stiffened in her seat. "The lacy thing around my thigh?" she squeaked. "You said that would be done in private!"

It was the only reason why Sora was persuaded to put it on was because Mia said it was a wedding tradition.

"Did I?" Mia breezily asked. "Ops. My mistake."

Before Sora could even think of leaving her seat, Leon came over. Her face grew red as he half kneeled in front of her. Her ankles went around the front legs of the chair in order to prevent him from getting her garter off.

"Hello," Leon amusedly murmured.

She pursed her lips. "Don't you 'hello' me, mister! Did you put Mia up to this?!"

He merely gave a half shrug. "Does it matter?"

Her lips thinned. "You totally put her up to it!"

A shadow of a smirk appeared on his face. "Come now, my lovely bride." His fingers lightly ran along her calf. "I will be quick."

"Not a chance."

He sighed in fake exasperation. "Now I will be slow."

Her eyes widened. "No. Be quick!"

He smiled in triumph. She half glowered at him.

"You tricked me."

"Hardly," he murmured as he unwound her right ankle from the chair leg. "I'm assuming it's on this leg, correct?"

She gave a short nod without looking at him, her cheeks a light pink.

"Good," he nearly purred, his hands going up her leg.

Her light blush deepened in color the further his fingers went. She couldn't believe this was happening right now, in front of her co-workers, friends, and family.

_Yume!_ she bemoaned. Oh what did her sweet little sister think was going on?

It was only a gut feeling that made her look at Leon when his fingers paused around her garter. _You said quick! _her eyes screamed at him. However, when she saw that roguish grin on his face, she knew he was about to do something completely embarrassing.

A second after that revelation, he ducked his head under her skirt.

She nearly jumped out of her seat when she felt his teeth along her thigh as he snagged her garter. Her face was flaming red as he pulled out from under her skirt and down her leg, finally lifting his head up with a white lacy garter between his teeth.

"I can't believe you!" she squeaked high chipped.

He gave her a wolfish grin and flung the garter in the crowd of bachelors waiting to catch it. She was embarrassed to see so many guys fighting over it, especially when Ken came out as the victor.

"Welcome to the male version of the bouquet tossing."

SL

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AN: Does anyone know where the garter tradition came from? I should look it up sometime. XD

So I just have a bit left for the Wedding Day mini saga to cover in the next chapter. Sorry, I felt like there was a lot in this chapter already!


	55. Chapter 55

AN: Wedding Day part 4!

SL

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As Leon predicted, Sora stepped on his foot as they danced.

Three times.

He quickly moved his foot as she embarrassingly apologized.

_Make that four._

He was amused to note that she was actually trying _not_ to step on his feet. The first time he thought she was getting back at him from the whole garter episode, but when she ducked her head, he knew she had not meant to. Luckily for him she was light on her feet, so he barely felt it when she stepped on his shoe.

"Calm down," he murmured into her ear.

He felt her nod as the side of her head was against his jaw. "S-Sorry."

He simplified their movements, recalling that she did better when they just moved in a circle. Soon he felt her body relaxing against him. She tucked her head under his chin some more, laying her cheek on his chest.

"This is nice," she murmured.

The hand around her waist pulled her closer. "Yes."

SL

Sora sheepishly sat on the side as her father danced with her mother.

Their 'daughter-father' dance didn't last very long, Sora too embarrassed how often she stepped on her dad's feet. Atsushi took it in good humor, but he didn't object when she said her feet were tired and got mom to switch with her. She hummed with the tune as her parents danced, a little smile showing on her face as they danced beautifully. She was glad they didn't feel too shy about dancing together in public, though she wasn't sure if they would have had the wedding been in Japan.

It was an older generation thing, as far as she understood it.

_I hope we get to be like that, _she mused as her parents danced. They looked out for one another, physically and emotionally, even when her mother had been so downtrodden about not being able to get pregnant. It seemed like the people around them could so easily, yet her parents were struggling.

It had been her father that cheered Midori up, telling her that it would happen in due time.

Yes, Sora hoped her new marriage will be like her parents - at least the supportive aspect.

Some childish giggling caught her attention and she turned, looking for Leon and Yume. The little girl had been insistent on dancing with Leon, especially after her big sister and mother already had. Sora had been surprised that Leon was ok with it and had taken the girl out to the dance floor once he heard the issue.

Right now, Yume's little feet were on Leon's shiny black shoes and he moved carefully, making sure her feet didn't slip off of his.

Sora felt her heart flutter with the image of little hands being held by Leon's larger ones, Yume's face lit with a big grin and adoration for her new big brother. She felt like she was getting a glimpse of the future and she found that she was eager to make it come true.

_Patience,_ she heard her father's voice in her head. _All in due time._

They have time, only having been married for not even a full day.

SL

It was nearly midnight when the newlyweds decided to leave.

Their friends and family saw them into the limo, wishing them a good night and not to worry, they'll clean up. A few wolf whistles sounded and claps, making her blush. Leon took it in stride, helping her inside and then closing the door after them.

He gave the driver his apartment address and then they were off.

_Our apartment._

He was no longer the sole occupant anymore. As Sora slowly moved her things from her dorm to the apartment, he felt the words come true, seeing fuzzy slippers and dresses in the closet when once it only held his things. He was going to have to move some of his things around for them to be fully set in the apartment, half of Sora's things still in boxes, but he figured they could do that together. He wasn't certain how much space and where Sora would like to put her things.

Her yawn made him turn to look at her.

"Oh my feet," she groused as she unclasped the straps of her heels. Tiredly, she leaned against him, her arm looping through his. "I saw you dancing with Yume."

He hummed. "I would do the same for Sophie, when she was younger."

She smiled, her eyes growing heavy. "That's sweet." She sighed and affectionately rubbed her cheek against his upper arm. "You're sugary sweet."

"Good thing you like sweets," he joked, resting his head against the seat.

She gave a chuckle. "I _love_ sweets."

SL

It felt like things muted for merely a minute for Sora when she heard a door open.

_Time to get out of the car._ She rubbed her cheek against Leon's arm, lightly frowning when she found it to be a lot more plush and squishy. _What the..._

Groggily, she opened her eyes, seeing some blinds covering a window. Little birdies chirped outside as the very early morning light filtered through the blinds.

_Aw crud..._

She slept through their wedding night.

With a groan, she embarrassedly buried her face into the plush pillow. Leon probably carried her in, bridal style, only to tuck her into bed like a child. Sure, she had been really tired yesterday, but she was sure Leon had been too.

_I can't believe I fell asleep!_

A muffled scream could be faintly heard as her fist smacked the pillow.

_So much for maturity._

Another round of screaming and smacking and Sora finally got up. She pulled the cover off of her, her cheeks lightly tinting when she saw a large t-shirt over her body. With a quick look to the open closet, she spotted her white reception dress hanging inside. _And he undressed me._

Just great.

She slapped her cheeks lightly, telling herself to get a grip. He was her husband now; he was bound to see her underwear. Despite her little pep talk, her cheeks continued to stay flushed.

_I wore the underwear May got from Victoria's Secret._

A part of her would have liked to have seen his face when he saw the lacy undergarments. Another part of her wondered what he was thinking, having seen said underwear on her.

"Ok," she muttered to herself. "Bathroom and shower first. Then find Leon."

Maybe the water will calm her down.

SL

In the kitchen, Leon stood in front of the stove in his navy blue pajama pants and white undershirt.

He heard his wife enter the bathroom and the running water let him know she was taking a shower. It felt a little strange knowing that there was someone else in the apartment now, but he did find waking up to her in the bed next to him comforting.

His eyes unseeingly looked at the scrambled eggs cooking in the pan. Last night, he had thought that getting the dress off would be a good idea when he came across a pleasant surprise as he got his wife's sleeping form out of the dress. The soft pink lacy lingerie had looked stunning against her tan skin, the color making her look even more feminine than he thought she could look.

He liked her body as it was, but he couldn't deny that the lace had enhanced its beauty.

Some pieces of egg popped out of the pan. Leon snapped out of his recollection, quickly lowering the stove flame and mixing the eggs around. It was a pity that they had been tired last night, but he hadn't been keen on waking her up when she was sound asleep.

He has desired her for a while now, truth be told.

But he loved and respected her too much to put her in an awkward situation, hence why he hadn't pushed her into anything when they had been dating. Even as their wedding came closer, he could tell that she needed more time, especially that one night when he had given her the necklace and things had gone a little further than usual. She had stiffened when he reacted to her accidentally move with her knee. He had felt her pulse fluttering wildly as he leaned his head against her neck; he had even felt the several hard swallows she had done as he attempted to calm himself down.

He wanted her completely and without any doubts regarding their physical union.

Though, he secretly hoped that day will be soon.

_Patience, _he chided himself. They were together; that is enough for now.

"Good morning, Leon," came his wife's voice.

A greeting was on the tip of his tongue but it sputtered out when he turned around and saw her.

SL

While in the shower, Sora decided on her next course of action.

Quickly drying her hair, she wrapped a towel around herself and went back into the bedroom. She opened a drawer on her side and pulled out two things: the short silk nightgown May got her and the see through kimono/robe her mother got her. She was embarrassed that Leon had to put her to bed like a kid when she was supposed to be his wife.

_I want him to see me as a woman._

She wasn't a scrawny little teen anymore. She was older now, more mature and she wanted to make sure that he was aware of that fact. Her decision made her a little nervous, but excited as well.

Now she just had to pull the look off.

She blow dried her hair a little, just enough that the dampness wouldn't ruin the silk or the robe, and then she brushed it a little, but not too much so it had that semi-messy hair look. Then, she slipped her clothes on, followed by the blush robe. She loosely tied the knot, allowing the white silk nightgown to show. Taking a quick look in the mirror, she ran her fingers through her hair to get it to sit the way she wanted it to, and then she deemed herself as ready.

With a breath in, she went to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Leon."

SL

Silk. And see through robe.

He gave a slow blink as his mind took this all in. He hadn't known she owned such things. Then again, after seeing the lacy lingerie last night, he shouldn't be too surprised.

"Morning," he finally murmured, his voice a little husky.

Her cheeks tinted a little upon hearing his voice, but she didn't let her blush stop her. She walked further into the kitchen, hoping that she was swaying her hips correctly like the sassy ladies on TV did. His grey eyes followed her as she moved, finally looking at her face when she stopped right next to him.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked.

He looked at her for a few seconds more before answering. "I had the best sleep since a long time."

When he turned away from her, she thought she had messed up somehow, but when he turned back to her with a plate full of breakfast food, she was pleasantly surprised.

"Fluffy pancakes," she said with a smile.

He gave a small smile back. "I recalled that you like the way I make them."

She moved to put her plate on the table, Leon following her with his own plate. She sat down next to him and then lightly frowned when he stood up again. _Where's he going?_

"Tea?" he asked.

"Oh," she blinked upon seeing a kettle on the stove, "yes please."

She looked at her pancakes, seeing the chocolate chips in them and then turned back to Leon, watching as he pulled out a tin of loose leaf green tea. She felt her heart flutter when she noticed it was the brand that she liked, and she felt the feeling grow as he pulled out a strainer and poured the hot water. A stream of green, steaming water went into the mug.

She couldn't recall the last time someone took such care in making her breakfast and tea.

_All of my favorite things, _she warmly thought as she stared at the plate with the octopus shaped sausages and then she looked back at him, his form coming over with her mug of tea. He was making an effort to make her feel at home and she loved him for it.

"I hope you like it," he murmured as he placed the mug next to her.

He was about to sit down when her hand on his forearm stopped him, bringing his attention to her.

"Thank you," she warmly said, then she leaned up and kissed him.

She had meant it to be short, but then that one kiss made her want to kiss him again and again, each kiss not enough to demonstrate the way he made her feel. Her arms wound around his neck as she softly mewled and he sat back on his chair, having been in an awkward half crouched position. He groaned when she straddled him, his hands fighting to only stay on her waist.

"Sora," he murmured, his voice half longing, half warning, especially when she pressed herself against him and her hands buried in his hair, "Anymore and I can't - " he cut off as she heatedly kissed him, her tongue lightly flicking his bottom lip.

He groaned, slanting his mouth as she came in.

She finally pulled away from him, her forehead resting on his as she caught her breath. "Could we have a wedding morning?"

His eyes lidded, answering her question.

SL

Her face stayed flushed as he untied her robe.

He placed soft kisses on her shoulder, the feathery sensation distracting her as he slipped the straps of her nightgown off. She was only aware that she was in her underwear when she felt the silky material slide down against her skin. Without stopping in kissing her skin, he moved her to step away from the gown.

She stepped backwards only to have the back of her knees run into the bed.

"Eep!"

She fell onto the sheets, embarrassed that she had fallen in an undignified manner during such an intimate moment. She was about to scold Leon for not warning her when her lips parted in silent wonder as he took his shirt off, revealing the years of hard work and muscle he had build and it clearly showed on his form.

She sat up on her knees as he came close to the bed.

He let her look and he shivered in delight when her tentative hand came up and followed some lines of muscle.

"What are these scars from?" she softly asked, her fingers lightly running along his upper ribs. There were some on his chest as well; she wouldn't be too surprised if there were some on his back.

"I did not immediately have fast reflexes," he murmured.

Her fingers paused. "People hurt you?"

"Sometimes," he admitted, "but the other scars were from work."

She thought on that for a bit, recalling what his old instructor said about the circuses the Oswald siblings started out in as well as the harsh training Alen placed on Leon when he thought the strength of the male partner was the key to the Angel's Maneuver. She parted her lips to say something, but then thought better of it.

Instead, she leaned forward and placed a kiss on one of the scars.

His hand came up and cupped her cheek, bringing her face up towards his. He lightly brushed his thumb against her lips, his eyes locked with hers. His affection for her shone through and her eyes half closed as he leaned down and merged their lips.

Quickly, the innocent kiss turned into fire.

She whimpered as the flames licked her body, her hands fisting his hair as his wandered in places he had not touched before.

SL

Hot heat.

That was all she could think of to describe this moment.

There had been momentary pain and discomfort when their bodies first joined. She had not felt such a thing before and had nearly wanted to ask him to stop here and go no further. But then he kissed her cheek, murmured comforting words and a soft apology when she let out a low whine.

"Wait, _mon cœur,_"he whispered, his voice uneven and his breath hot against her ear. "Just a little more."

She waited, his soft kisses relaxing her body.

Now, the discomfort was a distant memory. Now, her body was alive in ways she hadn't known before, each brush of their bodies magnified with electric pleasure and tension.

If she thought his kiss had been hot and hungry that one night, she now knew it had only been a small fraction of the desire running through him. He was consuming her, his mouth barely leaving hers for a scant few seconds to allow her air and then he was back again, his searing mouth wanting all of her with an intensity that left her speechless.

Nearly speechless.

"Leon," she gasped as he finally moved his mouth to her neck. "I can't - too much - " she panted, the tension in her body building up to unbearable levels as his hips moved against hers. "_Please!_" she cried out in her mother tongue, not knowing what she was asking him for, just hoping that he knew how to make the tension end.

He moaned against her neck, not knowing what she just said, but the pleading tone was clear.

He was incredibly aroused by it.

SL

She felt boneless as she lay on the bed, trying to catch her breath.

He panted above her, half laying on top of her.

"What," she haltingly got out as she breathed, her voice partly filled with wonder, "was that?" She felt like she had just seen the big bang at the beginning of time, when the universe was first created. Some blinding light filled her mind as that once unbearable tension broke suddenly.

"That," he chuckled against her neck, "is called 'lovemaking.'"

SL

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AN: Whew! Three chapters in two days! I didn't want to keep you waiting too long for the wedding scenes. :3

I think it's safe to say that Sora now knows that Leon's pretty much always seen her as a woman and not a kid. XP


	56. Chapter 56

SL

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After the wedding, something shifted between the two stars.

Leon had a feeling it would.

As they practiced, he noted her blush as he passed by her, letting his hair tease her arm. The sensation reminded her of four days ago, when she had been running her fingers through his hair as he slept only to soon discover that he was indeed awake. They playfully tussled around in bed, their motions easily morphing into something more intimate. The second time of lovemaking had been smoother and without the discomfort of the first time.

They were learning gradually. Leon was more than fine with it.

He dodged her sword's swipe and counteracted, smoothly moving his blade to hit her. She quickly brought her foil up in a two handed hold, stopping his hit and quickly redirected it to the side.

"Not bad," he praised.

She smiled. "I'm not done yet."

Lightning fast, she struck out in a lunge for his torso. With a quick sidestep, he avoided the blade, his own foil blocking hers when she tried to do a surprise side slash.

Well, he was more than impressed.

She righted herself and he shifted his feet. Back and forth they moved, blades clanging as they had an endless round of exchanges. Suddenly, then, she ran off and jumped off of the platform, easily catching one of the ropes hanging around them and swung behind him. He quickly turned to meet her blade and the exchange of blades continued again, this time even faster than before.

She was determined to get him; he was lost in the thrill.

He made a quick series of lunges, forcing her to retreat back. Unfortunately for her, she hadn't noticed how close to the edge she was and her foot met air when she tried to back up one more step. She gasped as she started to fall backwards, her hand letting go of the blade in favor of finding something to grab. Leon's hand came forward and she grabbed it.

He pulled her from the edge; she gratefully let him.

"Omph!" She bumped into him with more force than she thought she would. His hand along her back steadied her as she caught her breath. "Thanks."

"You've improved vastly."

Her head perked up. "Really?"

He gave a nod and a small smile. She happily laughed and hugged him. His vocal approval was not often given. The fact that he gave her two in one practice spoke volumes.

He sighed. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Hug me back," she laughed, her breath tickling his neck. Her grin widened when she felt his arms wrap around her. "See," she murmured with her eyes closed, "that wasn't so hard."

He softly scoffed at her tone. "I've embraced you before."

"And you're very good at it," she lightly patted his cheek. "Now let's increase the number of times it's given."

He barely withheld the urge to roll his eyes.

Instead, he hoisted her up, the sudden action causing her to wrap her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. She blinked at their positions, this being nothing new, but for some reason it felt different now. As she looked at how close his face was and how much contact they had, her face slowly flushed.

It reminded her of other situations.

"A-hem," she embarrassedly cleared her throat. "So, um. Are we taking a break?"

He noted her bashfulness and his eyes lidded. "I believe we are done for today."

SL

Ken walked to the main stage where the two leads were practicing.

He opened the door only to find Anna and May on the stage.

"Uh, where's Sora and Leon?"

May looked at Anna, Anna looked over at Mia in the audience seating, and Mia looked at May.

"They're done," they replied in unison.

Ken frowned. "But it's not even night yet!"

Mia and May looked to each other, then both girls turned to Anna. Anna blinked at their expectant faces and then sighed. They were leaving the explanation to her.

"Well, they said they made good progress," Anna shrugged, "so they left."

"Oh." Ken tilted his head. "That was quick."

Mia coughed, smothering her snort. She had a feeling they practiced quickly for a certain reason. But she knew better than to tell Ken her idea.

Ken sighed to himself. He guessed he'd have to tell them Kalos' message tomorrow.

SL

In the apartment of Sora and Leon, two figures shifted under the sheets.

A soft mewling sound could be heard as well as a throaty groan.

They rolled on the bed, though perhaps too much as Leon's form rolled off the bed and onto the carpet. Sora had quickly de-tangled herself when she felt him going over the side. When she heard the thud and his grunt, she peered over the edge of the bed, wrapping her end of the blanket around herself.

"Are you ok?" she asked, laughter dancing in her voice and face.

He looked up at his wife, her red hair messy and spilled over her bare shoulders. He was amused by the fact that she felt the need to cover herself even though he has seen her bare form on two other occasions. He supposed she was body shy but during their intercourse that tidbit of information went to the back of her mind.

"What will you do if I'm not?"

A coy smile appeared on her face. "Well then, I'll have to try to make you feel better."

"You don't need to try," he murmured, his hand slowly coming up to the bed, "you just need to come to me."

She stiffened when his hand wrapped around her ankle, then she let out a shriek when he pulled her to him, her form tumbling down from the bed to the floor. He grunted as she landed on him, a big fluffy pillow landing on his face as his wife had instinctively clutched the closest thing to her.

"That was an attempt on my life," he said in a mock serious tone.

He quickly flipped them over when he made sure the pillow would be beneath her head. She blinked up at him as he hovered above her, his hands lightly gripping her wrists and pinning them on either side of the pillow.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" he solemnly asked her.

She bit her lower lip as she stifled a giggle. "You'll never take me alive."

He shook his head in disappointment. "Pitiful last words."

"Hey!"

He gave her a slow smirk. "Eager for your sentence?"

She primly sniffed and turned her head to the side. "I have nothing else to say to you."

"We'll see," he promised.

She turned her head back to him upon hearing his low voice, which is what he wanted her to do. His forehead came onto hers, his grey eyes mesmerizing as they flickered with heat.

"For attempting to take my life, you have forfeited your life," he murmured, his hip pressing against her, "to me."

Her lashes fluttered as she bit her lip in pleasure. _That doesn't sound too bad. _

After all, she married him, didn't she?

As their lovemaking progressed, his hands slid from her wrists to her palms. She threaded her fingers through his, almost immediately gripping his hands as he added more force to the easy pace.

She moaned out loud and Leon secretly smiled.

_So she does have more to say to me._

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AN: Four chapters in three days; I'm spoiling you! :P

I'm posting this early in case I don't have time in the next few days. There are some issues that I still want to cover so the story's not over yet. But I don't know how many more chapters. Maybe until we hit the 70s range?

No idea. XD


	57. Chapter 57

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The first run through was going pretty smoothly.

Mia only had a few notes to add for the scenery and some suggestions for wardrobe so far. She tapped her pen on her clipboard as Leon swung around, evading the henchmen. Ideally, she wanted him to have a bullwhip like the actual Zorro does, but she wasn't certain how safe or probable it was to have him swinging from it. They found one on e-bay that looked to be in good shape.

As Leon unwound it, Mia crossed her fingers. _Let's hope it works._

From what Sora told her, Leon practiced at least twice a day, trying to get the right amount of whip to go around the polls so he could swing with it.

The whip snapped through the air, wrapping around one of the stationary horizontal poles hanging in the air. Mia held her breath as Leon jumped off of the platform and then she squealed a little when he was soaring through the air. There were some exclamations as he pulled it off, Sora jumping up from her seat in excitement.

Unfortunately, he had not wrapped the whip around the pole enough and he soon dropped down, whip and all.

The clanging of the metal hooks of the safety net sounded as Leon landed on it.

"Are you alright, Mr. Leon?" one of the stage crew asked.

"Fine," came his casual response. When he got off of the net, he turned to Mia. "I'll need a few more sessions of practice, but it should be doable."

Mia blinked at the address. He seemed pretty relaxed compared to the last show's run through. She felt like she could have a decent conversation with him without being too intimidated by him.

Then again, Yuri wasn't around this time.

Whatever Anna said, Mia was sure that Yuri had been trying to catch Sora's eye back during the Hades and Persephone show. _Not like he can catch her eye now._ Her friend was a married woman now and as much as Mia loved drama, she didn't foresee Yuri being a problem in the future.

No, from what Charlotte and Julie have written, she'd say Yuri was focused on another performer, one certain tall blonde in New York.

Mia smiled to herself. _A drama free stage sounds actually doable._

"Sounds good, Mr. Leon."

He gave Mia a nod and then turned to Sora, who was excitedly talking to him, complete with hand gestures.

Mia let loose a dreamy sigh and then called for the next scene.

SL

As was customary, Kalos watched the run through from the back.

Anna and Leon were fencing, aka Don Malo and Zorro.

He was impressed that the usually comedic acrobat was holding her own against Leon. Though, from what he understood, Anna practiced long and often against Leon and Sora whenever possible. Though, since there are henchmen, she really didn't fight against Leon too long compared to some other fight scenes.

"Anna's doing pretty good," Ken praised aloud next to Kalos.

Kalos nodded in silent agreement.

The clanging of swords filled the air, but as the practice continued, Ken found himself wondering about three weeks ago. He had thought Kalos would ask Ken to call the two stars to his office again after Ken had missed them, but Kalos hadn't. Ken cleared his throat after a while to catch Kalos' attention with the purpose of bringing up the subject. When a couple of minutes passed by in silence, Ken decided to speak up.

"Kalos, regarding that summons you wanted me to do...Do you still want them to meet you in your office?"

The owner of the stage was quiet. The scene just ended and a short break was called by Mia. He watched as Leon shared some words with a few people, even nodding to some thumbs up from the stage crew. He had noticed that the stoic man was opening up gradually; he hadn't realized just how far Leon had come.

He took a look at Sora, her smile big and open as she waited for Leon to come over. Once Leon was next to her, they headed over to the front stage doors. He idly noted Leon's hand coming up to her hair, his fingers rubbing some locks. Sora turned her head a little, indicating that she knew what he was doing, and then she ducked her head a little, a light pink on her cheeks as she let him touch her.

"...It can wait," Kalos murmured, pushing his glasses up.

He'd hate to ruin such a positive atmosphere sooner than it needed to be, for the news he had would bring strife—of that he was certain.

SL

With practice done and dinner still a few hours away, Sora plopped herself on the carpet.

The day was a little chilly, impending rain to come later in the week. She wore a big sweatshirt and a pair of shorts, her hair carelessly tossed up into a ponytail. She hummed as she worked on arranging their wedding album, her friends finally having sent her the good photos they had taken.

"Why don't you sit at the kitchen table?" Leon asked as he entered the living room with two mugs.

She shrugged. "The coffee table's fine."

"But it's short." He placed her mug of tea next to the album.

"It's at a good level when you sit on the carpet." She took a sip of her tea. "We should get some sitting pillows for the living room."

"You mean couch cushions?" he dryly asked as he sat on the couch.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Hardy har har. I know you know what I mean."

He gave her a half smirk. "Perhaps."

She gave him a flat look. "Just for the less than fantastic attitude, I'm putting this," she held up a photo of when she bit his fingers as he offered her some cake, "right smack in the middle of this page."

He eyed the photo. "You wouldn't."

"Try me."

They sat staring at each other for several seconds, neither one willing to back down. Calmly, Leon placed his tea down on the coffee table, the action being copied by Sora as she readied herself for his next move. She knew him well enough to know that he was up to something.

Slowly, he rolled his shoulders, the action momentarily distracting her as silver hair shifted and went along the front of his shirt. It had only been three seconds tops, but it had been long enough.

He pounced.

She eeped, her grip on the photo tightening as he attempted to grab it from her. They bumped into the coffee table, some tea spilling out of the mugs but thankfully not on the album. Then, she started to laugh as his fingers slipped under her sweat shirt, her legs kicking out as his tickling continued.

"Stop!" she shrieked out.

He soon stopped, but his hands stayed under her sweat shirt. He noted that she did not tell him to stop, not even when he slipped the material off and his mouth peppered her skin with open mouthed kisses.

Something breathy came from her lips, something not English or Japanese.

He understood it all the same; the language of pleasure being something beyond known words.

SL

They lay on the carpet in a languid mood.

His fingers ran along her bare arm as she rested against him. Idly, she tugged the woven throw blanket from the couch further up, making sure that it covered them better.

"You have a strange fascination with making love on the floor," she mumbled with her eyes closed.

She felt him huff out a breath, her cheek resting on his chest. "It simply happens that way. I do not plan for it."

She tsked. "Then why don't you want to get a bigger bed so we'll stop slipping off of it?"

He stayed silent.

"I knew it," she muttered. "We should just get a futon."

He lightly pinched her arm. "I'll have you know that I do not have a fixed fascination with you and the floor." A full smirk appeared on his face, though she did not see it. "There are far better places than there."

Her eyes flew open. "What?"

"The shower, for one." His fingers continued along her arm. "Then there is the hallway wall, followed by your dressing room at the stage—"

"Ok," she squeaked out, her face burying against his bare shoulder. "There's no fixation with the floor."

He gave a throaty chuckle upon feeling how hot her face burned.

A moment more, and he calmed down again, feeling like a nap was coming. He really wasn't one for such things, but with Sora near him and the blanket over them, it sounded like a pleasant idea. His eyes drooped a little and his fingers slowed their brushing motion.

"Leon?"

"Hm?"

"Do you have any photos of yourself when you were younger?"

"Why?"

"Just curious." Her fingers lightly rested on his chest. "I think 'Toddler Leon' would have been cute."

They stayed silent.

"…I have a few," he quietly admitted.

She smiled, knowing that his answer meant he'll show them to her.

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AN: Sorry for the slow updates. There's a lot going on right now.

But I'm glad that the wedding arc made people happy. :) I had researched a little to find the right outfits and customs to put into the chapters. :)


	58. Chapter 58

Here's an update! I'm hoping to have another one sometime this week, but I sadly cannot promise anything. :/

Enjoy!

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It was opening night for _Zorro_.

Sora stood on the sidelines in costume, waiting for her scene. In the main plaza of a town in Old California, some rogues were harassing a small group of townspeople. Zorro, on the lookout for trouble, had just intervened, sword drawn and poised.

Fanfare of trumpets sounded out the arrival of the Fox.

The fans went wild over the action.

His hot headed partner, Fuego, was played by May. While Zorro kept the goons focused on him by fencing and swinging around, Fuego led the innocent bystanders away from the ill-tempered persons, every once in a while pausing to deal with the stray rogues.

Leon's costume consisted of the traditional black outfit, boots, bullwhip and fencing sword, though for his headgear, they went for the older design, simply having a black cloth wrapped around the top half of the head and face with two holes for him to see. The black rimmed hat would have made for a more appealing look, however, seeing as it was for the trapeze, the hat would have fallen off.

Though, the lack of a hat didn't detract from Zorro's mysterious air.

Idly, Sora twirled her hair as Leon back flipped over the remaining rogues and onto the fake roof of the plaza. His form looked striking in black, especially his long silver hair. She smiled to herself as she bit her lower lip. She was accustomed to the stirrings of desire by now, though she realized she had felt it before but had not known what it was.

Zorro straightened up from his crouch on the roof. Quickly, Sora shook herself out of admiring her husband and got into motion.

Esperanza- Sora's character- rushed outside to the balcony. Having heard some noise she curiously peered around until she happened upon seeing an enigmatic figure on the rooftop across the way.

For a single moment, both Esperanza and Zorro made eye contact.

The moment broke by the pistols of the rogues, smoke coming out of the guns without any bullets thanks to the genius of the prop team.

Zorro, shortly joined by his partner Fuego, dashed across the roof top. Pulling out his bullwhip, Zorro lashed it out on a pole and grabbed his partner's hand. Together, the two vigilantes swung off of the scene and out of the way of the rogues.

Esperanza is left on the balcony, her pulse faster than it should be. She had heard about the masked man in the streets fighting crime, but had never seen him before.

Until now.

She didn't think she could forget this incident.

SL

Fuego and Zorro have noticed the growing number of thugs in their town. Something was clearly up and they needed to find out what's going on.

After hunting down the usual suspicious characters and questioning them, they found out that none of the past baddies are behind the recent activity. Though, one thug revealed through pantomime that they were promised a high reward for coming and causing trouble.

Conclusion: Someone high up was paying them.

-But for what reason?

So for tonight, Zorro removed his black costume and Fuego her black and blue outfit. Bathed and brushed, Zorro and Fuego calmly walked into Don Martinez's dinner. Long hair tied back and a formal dinner outfit of white and red, Don de la Vega—the surname Zorro—mingled with the crowd, finally coming to the table of the host.

Tall and lean, Don Martinez stood up and clasped hands with Don de la Vega. Fuego stood to the side, taking in the dons at the table already. With the wealth portrayed on their clothing, any one of them could be paying the rouges.

With a quick look to Zorro, Fuego got that he was thinking the same thing when Zorro narrowed his eyes slightly.

How were they supposed to weed out who it was?

The music changed to the plucking of violins and maracas as a small group of noble women came to the table. Leading the group, Esperanza stood before her brother, Don Martinez as they greeted each other.

Zorro's eyes drifted over her form, liking the red skirt of her dress and the embroidered lace along her sleeves. Since it was trapeze, the skirt was shorter in the front to allow leg movement and the back was long to allow for artistic fluttering and twirls.

He looked at her face and recognized her from the balcony.

He did a low bow towards her, drawing her attention. She tilted her head inquisitively, wondering why the nobleman looked familiar though she knew this was the first time they have met. She gave him a small curtsey and then turned away from him to speak with her companions.

The crowd laughed at the affronted look on Zorro's face and then "oooed" when he straightened up with a mischievous grin on his face.

It was clear to him that she did not care for fancy noblemen and he found himself intrigued after the initial shock. He approached the group of women and extended a hand out to the companion next to Esperanza, a pretty brunette with a deep violet skirt on. The woman giggled behind her hand and then followed Leon to the dance floor.

The long platform stayed stationary as he waltzed with the brunette, twirling her in front of Esperanza. The red head politely yawned behind her hand.

Zorro felt the stirrings of something deep inside him, goading him to place the brunette back with her companions and boldly grasp Esperanza's arm. She gasped as she was whisked to the platform, her red skirt floating behind as she was brought to the dance floor.

Zorro let go of her arm and stood in front of her.

Esperanza stood her ground, not faltering in their staring contest.

Slowly, gradually, the lights around the stage dimmed until only the ones over the long platform were on. Faintly, Sarah's voice sounded out in a long note, quivering with a single violin as the stalemate continued.

Then finally, the note and violin cut off with the first steps the couple took.

Although their bodies did not face each other, their eyes did as they turned their heads towards each other as they moved. He stepped into her space; she boldly stepped into his, a mere centimeter or two left between them before touching. The violin built up in speed and Sarah's sensual singing voice added to the tension, some bass guitars and tambourines ringing as their dance became lively.

There wasn't a hint of disinterest on Esperanza's face.

SL

Ken watched from the tech box as Zorro and Esperanza danced.

He was a little taken aback by how Sora moved, never really having seen such an expression on her face. Screen three was focused on both of their faces, allowing those in the box to see Sora's lidded eyes and Leon's focused gaze.

When Sora's hand trailed across Leon's chest, Ken tugged at his buttoned up collar.

Was it just him or was the room a little too hot?

A clearing of the throat made Ken focus on his job, seeing that the effects were due to come. "Alright, lights 2 and 3 get ready. Those controlling the platform, you'll disconnect on my signal."

"Roger."

"Yes, Mr. Ken."

Ken waited a few seconds more, watching where Zorro and Esperanza were on the platform. "Ok, starting from my right in three, two, one…"

SL

The stage was electric as they danced.

Sora could feel a few beads of sweat rolling down the side of her face. By the slight gleaming of his face, she took it that Leon was in a similar position. But he wasn't worried about sweating and neither was she.

Her hand reached up to touch his face, but she decided to trail her fingers across his chest instead. His eyes widened just a little for half a second at the unexpected action, but then went to half-mast. He reached a hand out to her waist, pulling her flush against him.

She softly gasped as her back was to his chest, the heat of his body making her even more breathless. He lifted her up into the air and she extended her arms above her head.

The clicks of the platform alerted her that they were being disconnected.

She closed her eyes in order to keep calm. _Trust in him._ Leon was quick footed and fast. He'll not mess up. With that pep talk, she opened her eyes again just as he lowered her back to his chest and she arched her arms and legs backwards to somewhat hold onto his upper body.

As he began to spin, the first part of the platform was released.

The music swelled as they twirled, Leon's sure footing making it to the second platform in time. She turned her face towards the side of his and he looked down at her, seeing if she was ready.

She gave him a small nod.

He placed her back on her feet without stopping in moving, his hands going to her waist and right hand. He danced them towards the edge of the second and third platform and she kept on following, trusting him to lead her.

The third platform disconnected from the second as he made them leap high in the air.

They landed safely on the third platform and then moved back to the edge towards the second platform as the third swung back to it. The audience were in awe as they leapt again, this time the duo spinning fast in the air. They moved to the first platform, this time back flipping in unison.

The music reached its pinnacle point, being so high strung that it was nearly painful.

For the finishing pose, they went back to the second platform, her left leg around his narrow waist as her right hand was buried in his hair. He half knelt as his forehead rested on hers, watching the passion still coloring her eyes.

The music ended, the audience stood up and cheered.

They stayed in their pose for a few seconds more, neither one quite ready to let go, but eventually they separated, knowing that the show must continue on.

"Later," he promised to her in a husky voice before straightening up.

She swallowed as her mouth felt dry, though the thrill in her gut told her that she was looking forward to later.

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AN: Smoking performance, wouldn't you say? ;P


	59. Chapter 59

AN: Just wanted to say that Shifts in the Days has over 50,000 views. Wow! That just makes me so excited! :D

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The scene changed back to Fuego investigating the dons at the table.

Sora quickly grabbed a face towel from the table backstage and dabbed the sweat from her forehead. She didn't have enough time to go back to her dressing room to reapply make-up, so she was careful as she wiped her face.

"Here," she heard Leon's voice from behind her.

She turned around and saw him offering a water bottle.

She smiled. "Still trying to charm me, are you?"

"Charm, no." He stepped forward, making her step back into the supply table with nowhere to go. He gave her a roguish grin. "Seduce, on the other hand…"

She shivered as his nose ran along her cheek.

"That is more accurate word," he murmured, his arm wrapping around her waist and he took pride in the way her lips parted to let out a breathy sound, "don't you think?"

"Yes," she breathed, her eyes darting to his lips as they came closer to hers, "but it doesn't mean anything will come of it."

He chuckled. "I highly doubt that."

She nearly pouted when he moved his head away from her lips, but as his nose trailed up her neck, she couldn't find anything to complain about. "I didn't say I'm unaffected." When he looked up, she grinned at him. "But the 'later' you promised is not now."

"Says who?"

She shook her head at his audacity. "We're still doing a show!"

He hmmed at that. It was hard to argue with that point. He slanted his eyes and smirked when a teasing thought crossed his mind. She took in a breath as he moved his mouth to her ear.

"There's intermission," he rumbled.

Her jaw dropped and then squeaked when he nipped her ear.

Before she could respond, a runner came over. "Mr. Leon, you're needed for the next scene!"

"I'll be right there," he answered. His lips teased hers as he spoke, her cheeks tinting when she noticed that the runner was still close by – not that Leon had a problem with that. "Until then, _mon chaton_."

Then he released her.

Face still pink, she felt her pulse go faster as she watched him walk away, his silver hair swinging slightly as he stepped.

_Water. Need lots and lots of water._

Would it be unprofessional to pour the bottle over her head?

SL

While Zorro danced with Esperanza, Fuego was working.

After Zorro escorted his dance partner back to her group, he went back to the table of the dons. Fuego raised her brow at the tardiness of Zorro's appearance, but he did not offer any explanations. She took a moment to roll her eyes at his silence and then got to business.

Zorro tilted his head when she lifted a black armband with red stripes.

The rouges had worn similar items, so the mastermind truly was here tonight. Quickly, Zorro tucked the band into his dinner jacket pocket and then pointedly looked at Fuego. She got the silent message and shrugged – she didn't know who it was yet. It was Zorro's turn to roll his eyes.

Though, Fuego took insult to the gesture, which made the audience laugh.

She pointed two fingers at his eyes and then gestured to herself. Then, she pivoted on her foot, accidentally bumping into a don wearing green, a don wearing navy blue, and then, to Zorro's surprise, she bumped into Esperanza.

Two dons and a noblewoman were their suspects, but he didn't know what to make of the third suspect.

He narrowed his eyes. Obviously, some surveillance would be required.

SL

As the duo sought out information, they came across an interesting fact occurring in their town. The position of governor was up for re-election, which explained why the two dons might be the culprits behind the rise in crime.

The planted trouble was here to show that the town needed someone who could actually protect their home, so that once the mastermind is elected and the trouble disappears, he'll be a shoe-in for the following election. There was a saying about politician's working for re-election once they were finally in office. Zorro could see how that saying was being put to action here, though there was one problem.

How would the mastermind make sure that they were elected to begin with?

The only things that came to mind were bribery, threats, or sabotage of a permanent nature. Actually killing one of the candidates sounded extreme, but he wasn't willing to dismiss that idea yet.

So far, Fuego was monitoring the don in green while Zorro tracked the don in navy blue. Once he's able to break in to the don's office will he go over to investigate Esperanza. He couldn't believe that she would pay common thieves to come and make her brother Don Martinez look good as a candidate, but until he had more information, his hands were tied.

Making sure that the don was in the other end of the manor, Zorro silently slipped in through the window. He rustled through the drawers and desk, only seeing bills.

If he was barely making ends meet, Zorro highly doubted he had enough money to pay off people. He sighed to himself.

That only left one don and Esperanza as suspects.

SL

The scene was dimly lit as Esperanza walked on stage.

It was the middle of the night, yet instead of sleeping she found herself restless, two figures having her divided attention. The masked vigilante was a 'person of the people,' though her brother didn't think so, she did. She found his courage to be attractive and his eyes sharp and attentive.

But then there was Don de la Vega from the dinner party…

She normally disliked the pomp and attitude of the aristocrats – even though she was technically an aristocrat herself – but when she danced with him that night, something made her believe that he was different from the rest. He had so much energy and vitality that he made her feel so alive like never before.

She felt like she could do anything.

Lost in the memory of their dance, she swayed as she walked her nightgown swished slightly as she twirled herself. In mid-twirl, something dark darted in the corner of her eye, causing her to pause.

Without further delay, she dashed in the direction the shadow went, only pausing to take the fencing sword off the wall in order to fend off the intruder of their home. Lithely, she followed the shadow, jumping onto a trampoline to get up to the tightropes where the intruder went.

Once there, she gasped.

Zorro was in front of her, holding some manuscripts in his hand. Her heart thudded, but she did not let her fleeting feelings take control. No matter how appealing he was to her, the facts did not change.

1) He broke into her house.

2) He was stealing paperwork.

Her eyes narrowed. What was the masked man doing here?

She didn't know, but she wasn't about to let him get away with his disrespectful actions. She readied into a stance, the nightgown not allowing her to go down as low as she had wanted to, but she would have to make do.

Zorro had the audacity to grin and laugh. Both only made her even more determined to fight him.

With that in mind, she attacked.

Zorro's laughter cut off abruptly as he quickly dodged. He was surprised to see that she managed to rip a hole in his sleeve. He tucked the papers through his belt and then pulled out his fencing sword. With a shake of his head, he gestured to his ripped sleeve and wagged his sword in reprimand.

Laughter sounded from the crowd. Tambourines playfully sounded out as well as a guitar.

Esperanza tilted her head up and got into another stance. Zorro kept his sword lowered. She took some steps forward, he took some steps back. Her mouth downturned when she realized he would not initiate the exchange.

A woman's work is never done, as they say.

She lunged forward and she saw a flash of metal come near her but she did not feel it. It wasn't until she realized that she could crouch much lower than earlier did she realize what had occurred. She looked down at the long slit he made in her nightgown and her cheeks turned red.

_That's a lot higher than it was supposed to be!_

Sora momentarily slipped out of character as she sent him a scolding look. His mouth was twisted up in amusement as his eyes appreciatively roamed the shapely leg that peaked out from the nightgown. She had spandex on underneath, but still…

She rushed him and he blocked, their swords forming an 'x.'

"That was too much!" she hissed under her breath.

"Like you touching my chest earlier?" he breezily replied.

She flushed a darker shade and would have said something else had he not leaned over the swords and stole a kiss from her.

She eeped and made a swipe for him.

He ducked under her blade and ran along the tightrope, easily climbing up to the long platform. She followed close behind, displaying incredible agility as she came to the platform. His eyes lidded as he took in her flustered form, her strap close to slipping off her shoulder and her slender leg showing.

He initiated the duel this time, Sora quickly bringing her sword up with a two handed hold and diverting his swing to the side. He recognized that block of hers, knowing that she tended to leave herself open on the left side afterwards.

_Let's see if she's learned._

He switched his blade to his left hand for a thrust; to his approval, she reacted, twisting herself out of the way as she brought her blade back to defend. However, her reaction did not get her completely out of the way, allowing his sword to cut through the fabric. She saw the hole along her side, her lips pursing tightly as she tried to contain another sound of frustration.

He preened. She attacked in response.

Her counterattack was not thought out, having been moved by emotions. She couldn't explain how she was feeling right now. She was blushing like when Leon kissed her in public, but she was also upset like the time he had broken a figurine of hers in the living room.

Her eyes were fiery as they crossed blades again.

This time when he leaned forward, his free hand went around her head and fisted her hair, bringing her closer to him. Her eyes were wide as he deeply kissed her on stage, a stirring in her stomach igniting fast as well as outrage.

When he released her, she shrieked in half indignation. He had seen her pupils dilate, so he knew she was not truly angry with him.

_Hot and bothered seems to fit the bill._

He couldn't wait for later.

They had a frenzied exchange of hits, their swords clanging as they connected. Then, in an unexpected move, Esperanza dodged and jumped up, using his shoulder to help her backflip over him. Zorro turned around to face her, seeing her triumphant look for one second and then her lips parted in shock.

When he noticed the black clothed mask in her hands, he realized what the shock was from.

She unmasked him as she backflipped.

Some police whistles sounded in the air, making Esperanza turn towards the sound. Quickly, though, she felt the mask being pulled from her hand and she gasped, turning around to see Don de la Vega in the costume of Zorro.

He stared at her for a few seconds more and then, after a short bow, he left.

SL

The stage lights went off for the intermission.

Leon calmly walked over to the dressing room area, having seen his wife head in this direction. When he reached her door, he gave a brief knock and let himself in before she could tell him to. He had expected her to squeak upon seeing him enter or maybe even dodge her water bottle for all the PDA on the stage.

What he hadn't expected was for the room to be empty.

He walked back out and shut the door. _She could be in the bathroom. _In his eagerness he hadn't accounted that possibility. _Damn. _He sighed to himself and went over to his dressing room.

So much for intermission.

He opened the door and turned around to close it. Without looking, he tossed his mask onto the dressing table, waiting for the light sound of it landing.

Instead, he heard a squeak.

He whirled around and found Sora taking his mask off of her face. She shook her head a little to fix her bangs when she noticed him staring.

"Took you awhile." She leaned against his dressing table, her leg still exposed from the slit in her nightgown. "You lose your way or something?"

"I didn't expect you to be here."

She grinned. "Surprise."

His eyes silently kindled with the fire from earlier, making her place his mask on the table. "Where did we leave off?" he rumbled out, taking a few steps to her.

She innocently shrugged, though the playful tilt of her lips told him otherwise. "Something about 'later' and 'intermission'." She looked at him from beneath her lashes. "Does that jog your memory?"

"Yes," he murmured, his hand sliding up her thigh. "That sounds familiar."

SL

SL

SL

AN: I'm testing out how to write the shows at the stage with _Zorro._ This one's more storytelling than the Hades and Persephone show in Shifts in the Days. We'll see how it goes. :3 


	60. Chapter 60

AN: I made this long so we can move along with the plot. :D

SL

SL

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Her lashes fluttered as his hand touched her.

Warm, calloused fingers freely traveled up her inner thigh while his other arm stayed around her waist. Her hand along his collar fisted his costume material.

She loved the feeling of his hands.

"There's only fifteen minutes," she softly mewled as he peppered her neck with feathery kisses.

"That's enough," he murmured.

She took in the heat of his eyes. He watched her wet her lips.

Then, they were motion, hands tugging each other and mouths meeting each other in a frantic kiss. Her hands drifted past the opening of his shirt and he groaned at the restless touch. Her fingers soothed and burned at the same time; he had not felt anything like it before.

His hands were everywhere, it seemed. One moment they were at her back, then her hair, her neck, and along her legs. She only faintly registered that her sleeves were off her shoulders when his warm mouth disconnected with hers and eagerly sucked on her shoulder.

"Leon," she half whispered, her breath having long been stolen by him.

They had been teasing each other too much during the show, she could see that now. She hadn't thought that things would come to this, but for all her embarrassment about PDA, she couldn't form any qualms about what they were doing in his dressing room.

"Your fault," she muttered before closing her eyes in pleasure.

Kami knew she wasn't like this before she met him.

She felt his lips tilt up in what she assumed was a smirk, signaling that he did indeed hear her statement and had an idea as to what she was blaming him for.

"You're hardly protesting."

She languidly opened her eyes, her hand sliding up his chest and over his shoulder. "Lucky you," she dryly stated.

He grinned against her lips as she pulled his head down to her.

In the midst of emotion, the door to Leon's dressing room opened, revealing a teen with headphones on. The young teen stood stock still as she caught the two stars liplocking, the action stopping when Sora noticed her.

Said redhead quickly pushed her husband away to create space. He only allowed her an inch or two.

"Ah, Marie!" Sora too loudly exclaimed.

The teen blinked out of her stupor. "S-Sorry! I knocked, but when no one answered, I just assumed that no one was in…" Marie lifted up what was in her hand when other words failed her. "Here's your spare black shirt, Mr. Oswald!"

Leon looked at the shirt and then nodded. "Just leave it on the rack."

Marie nodded back, quickly ducking her head as she fast walked to the rack and then back out the door without another word.

Leon stared at the door for a moment and then turned his attention back to his blushing wife. "I did not hear the knocking," he tilted his head slightly as he tried to recall, "Did you?"

Sora slapped her palm to her forehead. "Of course not or else I would have stopped sooner!"

SL

Intermission ended sooner than Leon would have liked.

Backstage, he stood on the sidelines with May as they waited for the show to start up again. In the corner of his eye, he could see May looking at him, but he decided not to look back in the hopes that she'd get bored.

"I heard a newbie from wardrobe caught you two smooching it up," May stated.

He spared her a glance and then faced forward again. Word got around pretty fast_. _

It had to be a new record.

"She didn't knock."

"Right." A few seconds more and May crossed her arms. "You two really need to have a sign on the doorknob if the cat's got your tongue for too long to answer."

Leon quirked a brow. May snickered at her joke.

SL

Zorro had spent a good portion of the night going through the office in Esperanza's home.

What he found was curious.

There were several papers that looked to be pieces of citizen documentations, but for the life of him and Fuego, they couldn't figure out why they would be cut up and only in certain parts.

And then early the next morning, as the bells for the election rang out, it came to him.

_Voters._

The mastermind was planning to use the thugs as voters for the election, the sheer number of rouges undoubtedly enough to put the votes in Don Martinez's favor. Before being able to cast a vote, all citizens of the town must show their documents and then they could have a ballot.

The cut up documents had been pieces to fill for the forged ones.

Did Don Martinez know what his sister was up to? Or were they in on it together?

Zorro didn't know, but as a protector of the town, he put on his belt with his bullwhip and sword, saving his mask for last. The people were in danger and he needed to put a stop to it.

Fuego came into his room looking frantic.

She pointed out and pulled out a red rose from the vase as she put it in her hair and imitated dancing with a partner. Zorro stilled as her message got through.

Esperanza was downstairs.

SL

She didn't know what she was thinking, coming directly to Don de la Vega's house.

Or should she say Zorro?

Esperanza bit her lower lip as she waited, her nervousness evident by the way she paced across the stage. She carried her sword through her sash but she kept it sheathed for now.

She wanted answers more than a fight.

But she'd be prepared to fight if he was difficult.

The sound of metal made her turn around, seeing that his sword had clattered as he walked. He came before her dressed as Zorro, except without his mask. She had unmasked him last night; he'd allow her the win by staying unmasked.

The strings of a tentative guitar sounded out as they two looked at each other.

When the lack of words continued, Esperanza reacted.

She clutched her head as she moved, her movements jerky with confusion and frustration. Her once neat hair became messy as she spun, all the while moving closer to Zorro. The guitar was a frantic sound of dissonance and melody, a chaotic storm punctured by maracas and the occasional drums.

When she stopped directly in front of him, all sounds ceased.

Everyone waited for his reaction.

He had planned to show her the papers and demand what she was thinking when she decided on this plan, but as he looked at her, he was having a feeling that the papers were not why she was here.

As she danced in front of him, he knew that was not why she came.

He raised his fisted hand with the papers and opened it, the papers fluttering to the ground. She stared at him with a deep frown, especially when he untied his belt with his weapons. His sword clattered a it fell to the floor and he waited for her to act.

Slowly, she slipped her sword out of her sash.

Fighting was not either of their priorities.

He was in no rush as he took his gloves off. Fuego went ahead to scout the polls and see what they were dealing with. He doubted the rouges would be up so early in the morning anyways.

He offered her his hand. She hesitated, and then took it.

Quietly, violins played as they slowly waltzed. As they moved, twin sets of saffron colored silks were unrolled and hung on opposite sides of the stage.

The silks, instead of being stationary in the middle of the stage, were on the ends of two rolling metal balls nearly the size of Jonathan's head. Marion's father took the idea from the Angel's Maneuver trapeze with the circular, spinning design. The silks hung off of the metal balls which rolled around two large metal rings inside of each other. The first circle allowed for one performer to move while the second circle was for the other partner.

When the stage was set, the dancers parted, artfully twirling and leaping to their ends.

Esperanza got to her silk first, lithely pulling herself up and up, making sure to wrap the silk around her waist and legs. For this scene, her skirt was extremely small, looking more like blue ruffle than anything, and with a white body suit.

Zorro did not go so high in the air. He merely had one hand wrapped, but with his feet still on the ground. As the violins grew in volume, he jogged across the stage, only pulling himself off the ground when he was close to Esperanza. He passed her, quickly switching his hold so that he hung upside down from his feet. With his momentum he continued to go in his circle. Before he passed her again, he reached out a hand and she dropped down to his level, taking it.

He pushed her in the opposite direction as she shoved her palm off of his.

Her right arm still carried the power from the Legendary Great Maneuver so the force between them was more than enough to get her going. Her hands gripped the silk and she held it so it would flutter behind her like a banner of sunshine. She smiled as Leon mimicked her, the two banners moving in opposite directions and then back towards each other.

He shifted his silk to one hand, the other grasping Sora's forearm as they met once more.

Both silks floated together now and they continued to do so even when they let go of the silks to hold each other. She adjusted herself so that his arm was around her waist and one of her arms around his neck.

They were face to face, her head leaning on his as the chaos inside quieted down.

Instead of flickering passion in her eyes, there was a calm relief. She had been afraid that Zorro had been playing with her – both as Don de la Vega and the masked vigilante. Even though she wasn't any closer to understanding why he had sneaked into her house, at least she knew now that he had not been teasing her cruelly.

She was tempted to kiss him, but withheld the urge.

The peace felt too nice to disrupt.

SL

After their second dance, they got back to business.

In a calmer mood, Zorro showed her the papers he had taken from her house. Her brows furrowed as she looked at them and then she shrugged. Zorro's eyes narrowed. So if Esperanza was not the culprit, then that meant her brother was. He was inwardly pleased that it wasn't her, but this presented a new problem.

Don Martinez was actually Don Malo.

And Fuego went to canvass by herself without knowing this.

SL

Fuego, gagged and tied up to a pole, tried to kick out at the thug.

The man laughed as his friend was kicked in the shin. The one that tied Fuego up grumbled and quickly tied her feet down. The spitball of a fighter had given them enough trouble for today. He could only hope that Don Malo would allow them to do away with such an annoying character.

The man shared a malicious grin with his partner as he pulled out his gun. Then again, who'd know if he killed a person or two?

As he cocked the gun, something black and thin snapped in the air, knocking it out of his hand. The man grunted and held his stinging hand.

The fanfare of trumpets sounded as Zorro swung onto the scene, kicking the man off of his feet. Distracted by that, the other thug didn't notice another presence until he heard the sword being drawn. Esperanza used her pommel to hit the thug on the back of the head and neck.

Instant lights out!

Zorro sent her a nod and then got back to untying Fuego. His partner's brows were deeply furrowed in agitation. She still couldn't believe those good for nothing goons managed to overwhelm her.

Eight versus one hadn't been that bad of odds…

The music changed as Don Martinez – now known as Don Malo - entered the scene. Immediately, Esperanza went to her brother, clasping his hands in a silent plea.

Why was he doing this?

Don Malo shook her hands off. Esperanza frowned at the dismissal.

By the way her brother was acting, he seemed disappointed by her presence. A thought came to her, causing her to step back.

Did her brother plant evidence to suggest that she was the culprit?

Is that why Zorro had been in the house last night?

She looked downtrodden for a moment, but then she lifted her head up with her eyes shining with resolution. Her brother was not going to get away with trying to make her a scapegoat.

She lifted her sword up and swung, but one of her brother's goons came in time to block it. She parried with the thug, watching with frustration as her brother ran off. In the corner of her eye, she saw that there were more thugs around, Fuego too busy fending them off to go after Don Malo. Would her brother get away? She silently despaired for the lack of justice.

Then, she heard the sound.

The bullwhip snapped, and Zorro was in the air, flying towards her brother on the rooftops.

When Zorro landed in front of him, Don Malo quickly backtracked a few steps and then pulled out his sword. Zorro readied himself, getting into position. They eyed each other, trying to gauge who would go first.

Seconds passed, and then Don Malo lunged.

Zorro sidestepped and countered with a sweeping move from his right. Malo ducked barely in time and then did a backflip away from Zorro in the hopes of putting some space between them. However, the action only gave him two seconds before Zorro attacked, causing Malo to quickly bring his sword up in defense.

Back and forth they fought, swinging around poles backflipping away until finally, Malo mistepped. Malo was pitching over the side and Zorro quickly grabbed his forearm.

Malo didn't like the gesture.

With a knife in his sleeve, Malo stabbed Zorro's arm.

As expected, Zorro instinctively released Malo, but only to his death. Malo fell over the other side of the buildings where a thick, big cushion caught Anna as she fell. It was out of sight from the audience, so the cushion didn't ruin the effect.

Zorro returned to his partner and Esperanza, seeing all the goons knocked out on the floor. Fuego, seeing his injury, took out some bandages from her pack to wrap him up when Esperanza came forward with her hand held up.

Fuego gave her the bandages.

Soft violins sounded as Esperanza carefully wrapped Zorro's arm. He watched as she tied it off, but continued to hold his arm. She looked up at him and he tilted her chin further up.

As they kissed once more, sweeping violins and trumpets blared at the victory of good.

And of love.

SL

After the standing ovation and the curtain call, Sora had quickly run over to her own dressing room to change. Opening nights meant the after party with the sponsors and VIP members.

Some press would be there at the entrance to the hotel, but they were not given access to inside. Kalos was adamant about scheduled interviews only.

She wondered if he feared how she'd answer on the spot.

_I don't blame him._ She sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck.

A knock on her door snapped her out of it. Quickly, she shoved her phone and lipstick into her hand purse and then opened the door. Her husband wore a red dress shirt with a black vest and nice slacks, his shoes polished so they shone a little.

"Ready to go?" she asked, waiting for him to offer his arm.

"Yes," he murmured, looking over his wife's red lacy dress, "but you're not."

She owlishly blinked at him and then looked down at his hand when he pulled something out. She grabbed the little box and opened it, her lips parting in silent wonder.

A rose hairpin of red and gold gleamed up at her.

"Leon," she breathed, her fingers carefully touching the petals, "I can't wear this."

"Do you dislike it?"

"No, of course not. It's beautiful. It's just - " she bit her bottom lip in a moment of insecurity, "I don't really wear items like these."

He hmmed as he gauged her face. "Did you not wear a hairpin and kimono for our wedding?"

"W-Well, yeah, but – "

"Then you should be fine wearing this."

As he took the box out of her hands and slipped the pin into her hair, she looked up at him with a slight furrowing of her eyebrows.

"It's not too much, is it?" her fingers fiddled with each other, "I just don't want you to buy these kinds of things and then I don't even look good in them."

He was tempted to chuckle. Oh the things she said sometimes…

"You look stunning," he murmured, lifting a hand to kiss the back of it. Then he half smirked as he added, "Even good enough to eat."

She eeped when he turned her hand over and nipped the meaty part of her hand.

"Behave!"

SL

The reception was full of people mulling about.

This year, they had some limited edition posters of the show to raffle off. Some were of Fuego and Zorro in fighting poses, others dealt with Zorro and Esperanza embracing or them crossing swords.

"I look pretty dastardly," Anna preened aloud as she looked at a poster of her and Zorro facing off. "Didn't know I had it in me!"

"Yeah yeah, you're a hotshot now," May grabbed a champagne glass as the server walked by. "Don't let it get to your head."

"Me? Never!"

May rolled her eyes when Anna almost immediately was bombarded by her fans. Anna posed dramatically for them and they eagerly took photos.

_That's definitely not letting it go to your head._

Why did she even bother sometimes?

"Excuse me, Ms. May?"

May turned to see one of their crewmembers. "Silva. What's up?"

"I was just wondering…it's been four years now and it's almost that time again…" the teen looked up with excitement. "So are you going to participate again in the competition?"

May quirked a brow at the less than articulate words. "Could you reword that into an actual question?"

Silva laughed at his own blunder. "Sorry, I just got so excited when I heard that Ms. Sora's invited too and you and Mr. Leon are already going, having been the past winners and all – "

Something like dread started creeping into her stomach. "Going to where?"

"The International Circus Festival, Ms. May."

_Shoot! It was what it sounded like!_ "What do you mean, 'Sora's invited'? The list isn't even out yet!"

"Well," Silva blinked at the rather loud reaction, "Everyone's talking about it. After all, those who have exceptional talent are invited. Seeing as Ms. Sora's done the Angel's Maneuver, wouldn't that mean they'd add her to the list?"

"Yeah," May distractedly responded, trying to find Leon or Sora in the crowd. When she spotted silver, she reacted. "I gotta go!"

SL

Leon had been in the middle of a less than thrilling conversation when May came and pulled him away from it.

"I was in the middle of something," he stated.

"Yeah well it can wait. Where's Sora?"

He half shrugged. "She went to get some pens for autographs."

May huffed and then looked over at the tables with the posers. "Listen. Apparently people have been talking about the Circus Festival – "

"We're giving the trophy this year."

May pointedly looked at him as he failed to see where she was going with it. "We're not the only ones going."

Leon tilted his head as he pondered on her curious statement, coupled with the fact that May wanted to find Sora…

His eyes widened. "The list…"

May was left standing by herself quicker than hot sauce stinging the tongue.

Leon fast walked over to Sora, glad to see that she was still smiling – meaning that she had not heard the news yet. However, just when he was about to call out to her, someone approached her with excitement.

The longer the person talked, the more blood drained out of her face, her lips barely able to hold the semblance of a smile.

_She knows. _

SL

SL

SL

AN: If you felt like the festival was brought out suddenly, good. XD

I was trying to get you to feel as blindsided as the characters when the news of the festival came up. I have plans for this, so please be patient with me until you decide if this is strange or not.


	61. Chapter 61

AN: And another chapter is posted! Isn't that neat? :D I've actually wanted to get to this point for a while now, but didn't want to rush into it.

SL

SL

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The ballroom sounded muted to Sora.

The words 'Circus Festival,' and 'the list' were running laps around her brain in an endless loop. She didn't know who the gentleman in front of her was nor was she actually listening anymore. Numbly, she caught her husband's silver hair somewhere behind in the scenary, but she couldn't seem to turn her head.

She desperately needed some air.

"Hello, Sora darling!" She heard Sarah say as she looped her arm through hers. "I think there's a full sky of stars outside. Let's take a look."

In the corner of her eye, Sora saw Kalos and Jerry. Her police friend was escorting the gentleman she had been talking to towards the doors of the ballroom.

"Ah!" Sarah exclaimed as she pushed the glass doors to the gardens outside. "This is so much better, wouldn't you say?"

Sora nodded her head.

"Take a load off of your feet," Sarah sat down.

The redhead automatically followed her lead as Sarah continued to make small talk, her hand patting Sora's every once in a while. Although sudden, the trip to the outdoors was making her head clearer, but she still couldn't find her voice.

It wasn't until Leon appeared with two drinks in his hands that Sora said something.

"Why was the man escorted out?"

Sarah stopped talking and Leon sat on the other side of Sora. The diva removed her arm from around Sora's.

"See you two later!"

She took one of the drinks in Leon's hands and excused herself. Leon was momentarily miffed by the fact that Sarah took his drink but not for long.

He had other matters to worry about.

"He was a reporter and Kalos has strict guidelines about the media." He wordlessly handed Sora the only remaining drink in his hand and she took it, taking a long sip of the wine. "What did he say to you?"

Her finger traced the rim of the wine glass. "I, um, zoned out after a while but he wanted to know if we were partnering for the Circus Festival."

"Ah." Leon took her glass and sipped from it. "I had not thought about the festival outside of the trophy presentation."

"Oh, that's right."

A moment of silence fell between them.

"…It's all just guessing though, right?" Sora attempted to make light of the situation with a laugh, but it came out weak. "For all we know, my name won't be on the list."

"Perhaps not."

She fiddled with her ring. "But do you think so?"

He eyed her from the corner of his eye. "…No." He sighed and placed the glass next to him. "You're too talented for them _not_ to invite."

"They didn't invite you last time."

"Yes," he murmured, "but that's because the committee despised me." With a humorless chuckle he corrected himself, "They probably still do."

"Oh," she said and then stayed silent once more.

SL

The Oswalds left the ballroom earlier than planned.

After twenty more minutes of staying there, Leon couldn't stomach the sight of her false smile. So with a quick "we're leaving" to Kalos, he took his wife out through the front and into their car.

"Won't the Boss be mad?"

Leon shook his head. "I told him and he didn't stop us."

Sora nodded at that and then faced the side window.

Once they were in the apartment, Leon relaxed some more. He couldn't help but take a moment to silently grieve the loss of a promising night with his wife, especially the way they were acting during the show. He had planned on picking up on the seduction, but with what happened in the ballroom with the troublesome reporter, the mood was definitely not appropriate.

He slipped his shoes off and then walked to the bedroom.

Sora mimicked him at a slower pace.

"Do you think," she said as she leaned on the doorframe and he unbuttoned his vest, "it's possible to refuse the invitation?"

He paused in slipping the vest off. Most performers would kill for an opportunity to showcase their skills on an international level. Though, it was no secret that the festival was her least favorite type of stage; he could understand her desire to get out of it. However…

"I have not heard of such a case." He hung his vest and then worked on his dress shirt. "It's considered an honor to be on the list. To refuse would surely cause insult."

Her brows furrowed. "I can't do that."

He sighed as he caught her looking at him. "I do not care if you anger the committee."

"But it won't be just me they'd be angry with," she protested, her hand cradling the red and gold hairpin he gave her earlier that night. "We're a team, both on and off the stage."

He shrugged out of the dress shirt with some frustration. "You married me despite my reputation and after having experienced my less than shining moments." He leaned his face down so they were at eye level. "You love me beyond all of that. So why can't I love you even if you refuse some arbitrary festival invitation?"

Her heart thudded in her throat. "But, the stage – "

"You have sweat and bled for the life of this stage," he murmured, his hands unfolding hers to reveal the rose hairpin in her hands, "I think it can survive through any storm, what with how strong you've nurtured it to be."

"It wasn't just me."

He hmmed. "You were the one that dared to dream it to be what it is."

She looked at the rose, the faint moonlight gleaming on the golden veins of the petals and the outlining of each one. "I can't do this alone," she whispered.

"You're not," he murmured, his hand covering hers with the rose.

She liked the sight of his hand protecting it, as if it were the most important treasure of all.

SL

The rest of Leon's clothing lay crumpled on the floor.

Her dress and undergarments were scattered left and right, but she didn't worry about it.

She was close to slumber, Leon's kisses along her bare shoulder and neck being the only reasons why she was still awake. Lazily, her fingers twirled some locks of his long hair along the pillow, liking the way his silky hair felt and how the moon shone on them, giving them a dusty blue-white sheen.

"Things will stir up," she murmured. "They did last time."

Her words made him pause and then he sighed, pulling her closer to him.

"We'll meet the challenges as they come," he soothed in her ear.

She felt him nuzzle the side of her face, his nose running along a sensitive area. She squirmed a little, a smile appearing on her face.

"On another note," he rumbled, shifting himself so that they were face to face. "You did not say what you thought of my costume."

Her cheeks tinted in recollection. He had asked her the same thing for his Hades costume and made her flustered for a good number of days. He was always eager to make her blush.

"I guess it's ok," she said in as even a tone as she could, "if you think masks look good."

He chuckled at her antics. "You think so."

"According to whom?"

"Your heart during the show," he said, almost immediately burying his face against her neck. "I could practically hear its beats above the music. I nearly mistook them for drums."

"You're embellishing!" she scolded as she pinched his arm.

"If it's any consolation," he murmured against her, his breath heating her skin, "your costume sets my blood on fire."

Her face burned, though inwardly she allowed herself to feel some feminine pride.

The moment was shortly overwhelmed by his next words. Hushed, potent words were rumbled into her ear, telling her in detail what he thought of her costume. When he switched to French, she only burned faster, especially when his hands wandered along her body.

By the time their lips met, she was already lost, her body responding beautifully to his.

He moaned her name against her lips, her hands gripping his shoulder blades as if he was the only anchor she had to reality.

He touched her fervently, rocked against her passionately.

Trouble was arising, though he didn't think the festival had been the beginning of it. But he didn't want to think about that now; she didn't want to plunge into the woes of the festival yet either, given the sort of desperate way she clung to him.

_Not yet,_ ran through both of their heads.

Until the sun rose, the impending dilemmas were pushed to the back of their minds.

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AN: I have it in my head that the festival is every four years. Is that correct or is it every three years?

I'm just going to go with four... XD


	62. Chapter 62

AN: Just a quick note, these chapters are more episodic than other ones, so watch the time passing.

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The last week of June was heating up fast and Leon took to wearing his hair in a low ponytail when he was off the stage. From her spot on the toilet cover, Sora watched as he brushed his hair back.

Brush, brush - pause.

He took a glance at her to see if she had something to say. When she said nothing, he resumed.

Brush...

Considering the mess with the coming Circus Festival, he thought it was endearing that she sought his company more often these past couple of days. Though, he couldn't help but feel that it was a little strange the moments she chose to be around him.

Already, she has plopped herself on the toilet cover when he was shaving, sat on the couch when he was stretching out in the living room, leaned against the counter as he did the dishes, stood by as he washed the car - for that one he asked if she felt like doing it for old time's sake which earned him a pout - or even just laying down on the bed next to him as he shined his shoes.

Her antics were indeed out of his range of understanding, but this was not the first time - nor the last, he was sure - the thought crossed his mind. It was already a little over two months that they've been married; he was sure there was still a lot more he had to learn about her quirky antics.

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As Leon went about his morning grooming, Sora reflected on how they were doing.

They were getting along pretty well, which had been something she had been worried about when she first moved in. Aside from her father, she hadn't really lived with the member of the opposite sex. From the movies, couples tended to get in each other's way during the mornings, especially with the bathroom or the kitchen. So far, there really wasn't an issue of one doing more of the cleaning or cooking than the other, though she couldn't be sure if that was because she was too busy to notice. They had an unspoken agreement regarding breakfast being done by whoever woke up first, lunch was usually at the cafeteria or a café and dinner was alternated between eating at home and out.

They thankfully haven't had to fight over who got to shower first since she preferred morning showers and he the evenings.

The only real embarrassing situation was last month when she was in the bathroom and noticed that the drawer was out of a certain feminine product.

He had taken it in stride when she asked him to bring her some from one of the bedroom drawers on her side, but it took her a long time to spit out what she needed him to grab. She had vaguely heard him chuckle under his breath about having done so for his sister years ago.

She supposed she had Sophie to thank for getting him used to living with a female.

Her amusement waned a little as her thoughts moved on to a related topic. She noticed that her monthly cycle had yet to come and then three mornings ago she threw up when she was getting ready to shower. Subconsciously, she moved a hand to rest over her belly.

_Am I pregnant?_

It made her giddy to think that she was but she didn't want to mention anything until after the results from Dr. Kate came. But it still made her wonder, especially as she watched her husband doing his day to day routine.

How would their lives be with a little toddler running around?

That question was running through her mind for the past couple of days.

_Maybe,_ she silently hoped, _my pregnancy would be a good enough reason for my refusal in participating in the Circus Festival. _Surely the committee could understand that she wouldn't want to risk a miscarriage and not take offence to her refusal.

They couldn't reproach her for that…Would they?

"Do you like what you see?" she heard her husband tease as he tied his hair back.

He angled the mirror in order to make eye contact with her.

Her hand automatically moved away from her stomach as she stiffened in her seat. She caught the playful light in his eyes and a light pink dusted her cheeks as his words sunk in.

"Conceited!" she retorted, but did not answer in the negative. She primly got up and sniffed. "I just wanted to let you know that breakfast is ready."

"I do not think that required your entire stay in here," he murmured, turning his head to look directly at her.

She wrinkled her nose and "humphed!", intent on leaving.

However, Leon smoothly brought her to him, his arm around her waist as his other hand lightly gripped her chin. "I like what I see," he said, his hand on her hip slipping under her floral printed tank top.

Her eyes lidded a little as his thumb rubbed circles against her skin, then, she giggled as his fingers danced along her ribs, finding her ticklish spot.

His eyes laughed at her, glad to see that her good mood was still here. He had noticed her improved mood a few days ago, silently relieved that the festival was not completely plaguing her thoughts like he thought it would.

She squirmed in his arms, laughing as she tried to escape his fingers. "I give, I give!" He relented, his eyes slightly lidding when she pecked his lips and then she gave a playful nip of his nose, making his eyes widen at the unexpected move. "Don't forget that I know where you're ticklish too, buster!"

Then she sauntered out of the bathroom, making sure her braid swished as she moved. He admired the view for a few seconds and then followed after her to the table.

Hand bowls of miso soup, small plates with scrambled eggs and shredded cheese on top, and some sort of rice with greens in bigger bowls were laid out in two spots on the table. Orange juice and the milk cartons were there to fill their empty cups.

_She's definitely in a better mood_, he thought with a faint smile as he sat down. She placed a plate with baked goods on the table as he picked at the rice bowl.

"What's this rice called?"

"_Okayu_," she smiled. "It's a type of rice porridge."

It had been a while since she made dishes from her homeland. The thought warmed him as it signaled that she was in higher spirits.

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After a peaceful breakfast, Leon drove Sora to Dr. Kate's office.

As far as he knew, Sora was having a routine physical done. He did not know that she had already visited Dr. Kate some days ago with Jerry's help - she had claimed to be visiting her friend Jerry so he had not questioned where she was off to that day. It wasn't abnormal for performers to get checked on, given how much strain and the physical amount of exertion placed on the body. It was best to prevent accidents with something as simple as a check-up instead of the alternative.

The waiting room was cool, the familiar fish tank greeting them. Leon idly watched a little blue fish float around as Sora read some magazine. She didn't purposefully grab a baby magazine, having only picked up what was closest to her, but then she was curious about the information inside and decided to peruse it. She might need to research soon anyways.

A secret smile appeared on her face.

The dividing door in the office opened. "Mrs. Sora Oswald?"

Sora quickly put the magazine down and got up to go. When she noticed Leon moving to follow, she stopped him with a hand to his shoulder. "Actually, you can wait here."

He gave her a slow blink. He hadn't expected her to stop him. "Are you certain?"

Sora smiled. "Yeah, it shouldn't take long."

She wanted to make sure first before telling him the good news. It didn't hurt to be safe than sorry – though, she giddily knew he would be joining her in the room soon enough.

She gave him a peck, which made him quirk a brow. She was usually squeamish about kissing with other people around; the fact that she did so now made him even more curious what caused such a good mood from her.

"Don't miss me too much," she teased.

He softly scoffed, picking up a magazine. "I think I can handle waiting."

_We'll see_. She walked off with a bounce in her step. _Nine months is a long time to wait._

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Dr. Kate walked into the room, seeing Sora perk up from her seat.

She shifted the papers under her arm and extended a hand out to her friend. "Hello Sora. How are you feeling today?"

"Pretty good, actually!" Sora chirruped as Kate took a seat near her. "I haven't thrown up again though. Is that normal?"

Kate looked up from the papers, recalling that Sora had asked her to run a pregnancy test as well during their last meeting. "Well, not everyone throws up during pregnancy. Nausea tends to come and go more frequently in those cases." Then she sighed and folded her hands over her lap. "But this is not the case for you, Sora. At least, not yet."

"What?"

She felt bad about ruining her friend's excitement. As her physician, she had to tell her what was going on, even though her friend jumped the gun. "Your blood and urine samples came back. You're not pregnant."

Sora sat with her lips parted in surprise. Kate continued on.

"From what I can tell, you just experienced a mild case of the stomach flu. You haven't thrown up again because your body already purged the bad stuff out, which is pretty good news considering how bad it can - "

"But," Sora protested, interrupting Kate with urgency, "what about my period? It should have come by now and it _hasn't_!" She stood up in haste, "Doesn't that usually mean you're pregnant?"

"Sora," Kate calmly intervened when Sora seemed a bit frantic, taking the young woman's hands in a soothing gesture "late periods do happen on occasion due to any number of factors such as stress and changes in diet, especially with foods containing certain hormones." Kate looked back at the reports on her lap for a few seconds and then looked at her friend. "According to the hormone levels I'm seeing, you should probably be on it any day now."

Sora slowly sat back down, feeling like the wind in her sails just disappeared.

"I'm not pregnant," she numbly repeated to herself.

"No," Kate murmured, giving her hands a squeeze, "but it's still pretty early in your married life to be concerned about it. There's always next time."

"Yeah," Sora idly said, though she couldn't shake off the disappointment weighing heavily in the pit of her stomach.

There was 'next time,' but she had been counting on 'this time.'

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AN: :( Can't have everything go their way. Life doesn't always work with you, unfortunately.


	63. Chapter 63

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As the days went by, Sora's good mood deteriorated.

Leon felt helpless as he watched it happen.

He had first noticed the shift in mood after the doctor's appointment, but when he had asked what was wrong, she had smiled and shook her head. He knew he was being fed a lie, especially when she stayed silent in the car ride home when before she had been talkative.

He had planned to slowly draw it out of her, but then the next day, things changed. Kalos had called for Leon regarding a note that came in.

_'__You cannot hide your sins.'_

It had no sender and the message was typed up on regular printer paper.

Leon was about to dismiss it, but then Kalos pulled out five more such notes. Leon had frowned as he read them, especially when one note mentioned him having tainted '_the Angel_.' It didn't take a genius to figure out that it was referring to Sora.

"_Why haven't you told me sooner?" Leon had reproached Kalos._

_Kalos pushed his glasses back and then gathered the papers together. "Hate mail is hardy a reason to sound the alarms."_

_Leon gauged Kalos' words. "…So what does sound the alarm?"_

_Kalos put the old notes aside and unlocked the desk drawer near the bottom. Leon quirked a brow when a shoe box in a clear plastic bag was placed on the desk. Kalos slipped some rubber gloves on and then opened it._

_Kalos put the note on the desk. Leon leaned over to read it._

_'__I'll end it if you won't.'_

_Leon frowned and looked up to address Kalos, but the other item the older man was pulling out gave him pause. _

_A rope tied in a hangman's noose was placed on the desk._

_"__I want this person found," Leon gravely said._

_Kalos put the items back inside the box. "Jerry's going to have a friend from forensics run these items for prints." _

_"__Give him the other notes," Leon tonelessly said._

_Kalos said nothing, seeing as Leon was already walking to the door. But as he was about to open it, he closed it again and addressed Kalos._

_"__I don't want Sora to know."_

_Kalos harrumphed. "Why do you think I only called you in?"_

_Both men knew that if she were to find out that her dream stage was being threatened she'd freak out or even worse, lose heart. Leon saw how she was right now and he didn't want another problem to add to her poor mood. _

_Leon gave Kalos a nod and then left._

The meeting had been half a week ago.

Jerry's friend in forensics found fingerprints, however, the sender's prints weren't in the police system, meaning that the person hadn't been arrested before. The news frustrated Leon for he had been counting on that.

The longer the person was loose, the more opportunities the person had to enact their final note.

Before every show Leon checked and re-checked the equipment on the stage. Jerry got himself stationed at the stage as extra security, even borrowing a K-9 to search for anything dangerous like explosives.

_Who sent those notes?_ Leon inwardly wondered as he washed his hands in the bathroom.

Assuming it was someone from his past, he gave Kalos a list of names to flag. If any of those names try to purchase a ticket, the computer will alert security. All deliveries and mail carriers were required to check in directly with security and their names logged in.

Leon played with the idea that it was Aliya, but easily dismissed it.

From what he understood, she had no more qualms with him on that issue.

He shut the faucet off and then dried his hands, still in a pensive mood. When he stepped out of the bathroom, he was disappointed to find a lack of noise in the apartment. Truthfully, with the recent threat and the Circus Festival, he was finding his patience to be thinning out especially with the lack of progress being made.

When he walked into the bedroom and saw Sora still in bed, her eyes unseeingly staring at the blinds, he found himself tired of her attitude.

There were bigger things to worry about than angering the festival committee.

"Sora, let's go."

She blinked at him and then merely turned her head back towards the window. With an exasperated breath out, Leon tugged the comforter off of her, making her shiver and clutch the pillow for warmth. After the initial reaction, she released the pillow and went to grab the comforter at the end of the bed, but Leon pulled it away completely.

"Give the blanket back," she bit out.

"You need to get up." Unblinkingly, Leon walked away with it. "I'll make some breakfast as you shower."

"I don't want to shower," she yelled out, "I want to sleep!"

When he didn't answer back, she huffed and got out of bed, dragging a pillow with her. As she came behind Leon, she wacked him with the pillow. He turned around and grabbed it before she could get a second hit in.

"Enough of this," he said with a narrowing of his eyes. "Your poor behavior has gone on for too long."

She tugged at the pillow and then let out a frustrated sound when it didn't slip out of his hand. "My behavior? What about yours? You haven't been the coziest person to be around lately, you know!"

"You're blowing your problems out of proportion," Leon frostily said, "I expected a better fortitude from you, but I suppose I was sorely mistaken."

His words stung and made her eyes prickle a little, but she was determined not to cry. "Yeah well, we can't all be icicles." She stepped closer for a moment, staring him straight in the face. "But I wouldn't expect you to understand."

She released her hold on the pillow and whirled around, making sure to slam the bathroom door.

Leon let the pillow drop to the carpet and he continued on into the kitchen, merely pulling out instant oatmeal. He was suddenly not in the mood to make breakfast.

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AN: Trouble in paradise, as they say. Hang in there, everyone! :0


	64. Chapter 64

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In the common room of the dorms, Sora sat in front of the public computer.

Her fingers clacked against the keys, inputting the familiar website into the http spot. With a breath in, she hit enter. The home page with the fancy letters spelt something out in French, but even she could read what it said.

_International Circus Festival._

Before she could have any second thoughts, she moved the cursor over to the invitation list, having remembered what it looked like from when Mia had looked it up years ago. Back then, they had been blissfully ignorant of the festival, hoping that Sora's name was on the list.

She knew better now. Once bitten, twice shy, as the saying goes.

Sora quickly clicked on the link for the list, her hand a little shaky on the mouse. The alphabet was above and she clicked on the 'O's' for her new last name.

_O'Neil, Oscar…_

No 'Oswalds' were listed.

With a relieved breath out, she sat back in the swivel chair. Neither she nor Leon were invited—though, for Leon's case, it could be because he already won – but in any case, it made her feel just a little better.

_Thank goodness…_

She felt a small smile appear on her lips. Now she didn't have to think of ways to get out of it.

"Sora," came May's blunt greeting from behind. "You checked the list?"

"Yeah," Sora's smile grew a little more, "I'm not on it."

May hmmed, coming closer to the screen to look at it, her brows furrowing a little as she thought. "That's weird. I thought you'd be invited for sure." With a glance to the redhead, May mused aloud, "I wonder if it's because of you marrying Leon."

Sora's smile fell a little, but then it came back up. May's pessimism couldn't ruin her mood, not right now. "Well, it's all for the better, so…" Sora shrugged and then closed the window.

Before she logged off the computer, May stopped her.

"Need to check my e-mail," May casually explained as she none too subtly scooted Sora out of the computer chair with a bump of her hip.

Sora tsked at May's way of asking, but got out of the chair. "See you later!"

"Yeah whatever, see ya," May replied, typing in her e-mail.

When the door to the common room closed, May looked behind her, made sure Sora was out, and then logged out of her e-mail. Quickly, she typed up a new website, the festival home page being in front of her for barely a second before she clicked on the list.

With a decisive click, she chose 'N'.

She slowly exhaled as she found her friend's name. "I hate it when I'm right," she muttered under her breath and then closed out of the window.

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In the cafeteria, Leon poured himself some coffee in a Styrofoam cup.

They were no closer to finding out who sent those messages. Leon frowned at the cup as he idly watched how much was put in. He had thought something would have occurred by now but the lack of activity made him suspicious.

Was it simply a sick joke?

Or was the threat real?

He was determined to treat it like a real threat until proven otherwise. He put the coffee pot down and put a lid on it. He was about to walk away when he saw some selections for tea. For a moment, he debated about getting one for his wife. Right now, they weren't in the best of places to be.

He was tired of her moping. She had called him cold.

The latter stung more than he thought it would. He supposed it was the drawbacks of having your heart reawakened. It allowed you to feel happiness and peace, but also allowed for sorrow and hurt to come in.

_"You're stable when I'm not," she said as she squeezed his hand, "You're the warmth when I'm cold."_

Those had been her words to him at their wedding.

_Stable_, he repeated in his head, _I need to stay stable. _If not for himself, then for the sake of his wife. She was shaky right now; he needed to be the solid ground in which she could count on, regardless of what he was feeling.

He grabbed another Styrofoam cup, picked a tea bag and then filled it with hot water.

SL

Sora sat on a bench by the beach, taking in the salty air.

Leon had not been in the practice room, so she left him a text of where she was. She needed to be outside right now. The thought of being cooped up inside made her feel a little claustrophobic. She had taken off her shoes when she got closer to the beach. Idly, her feet dug into the sand, the soft warmth tickling her. She smiled at that and then she faced the ocean again.

The vast waters moved, the waves came up the shore, wetting the sand and then retreating once more. _How can the sand stand having the waves repeatedly running over them? _

Wouldn't they disintegrate?

Or was sand actually stronger than she thought?

_"I expected a better fortitude from you," Leon had said, disappointment showing in the way his mouth downturned. _

Her feet stilled and came up on the bench so she could wrap her arms around her bent legs. She knew that he had assumed her mood to be from the festival and honestly, she thought that was mainly it. However, she saw the list and her name wasn't on it; but she was still feeling disheartened.

She looked at her left hand as the sun glinted on the diamonds. She turned her hand to the side, now able to see the little diamond on the right side of the big main one.

_A mama diamond with a baby on either side…_

Her hand fisted and then she lowered it.

Ever since the visit to Dr. Kate, she kept seeing baby things. Or her mind somehow connected little things back with babies, even if they had nothing to do with newborns. She had heard about some women going through "baby phases" but she hadn't really thought that she would go through it too. When she saw a kid, she wanted to hug them; she caught herself cooing over the little baby socks when she was at the department store a few days ago.

She was still wondering how she ended up in the baby section when she just wanted to buy some batteries. The worse part of the whole ordeal was that she wasn't pregnant.

Then, she started wondering if she _could _get pregnant…

She looked away from the beach and rested her forehead on her knees. _I really hope that I can._ After all, the women in her family tended to have trouble getting pregnant, her aunt and mother both immediate examples.

She heard that there were several relatives that had to adopt.

She didn't mind adopting. Heck, she was an adopted child and grew up in a nice loving home. But there was something about being able to carry a child of hers and Leon's inside her own womb that allured her to the idea of pregnancy, despite the aches and pains that come along with it. Having a child that was theirs would be worth the suffering.

If she was able to, that is…

She squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the weight of her disappointment once more.

"Sora?" a voice said from behind her.

She softly gasped as her head immediately shot up. "Ken? What are you doing here?"

"Just walking," he said, and then he frowned as he took in her facial expression. "Were you crying?"

She rapidly blinked, making a tear slip out. She felt it fall against her cheek and she turned her head away, hastily wiping it before Ken could see. "Ah, no, not really," she gave a weak laugh as she half turned back to him, "just thinking, is all."

He had seen what she wanted to hide, which kept the frown on his face. He stepped around the bench in order to sit on it. Sora was surprised by how close he sat, but then decided that it was just that she was sitting in the middle and taking too much room on the bench.

She scooted over to give him more space.

They sat in silence for a bit, Sora picking at a loose thread on her shorts.

"So," Ken started slowly, "how are you doing?"

"Fine," she casually said, "and you?"

"Fine," he repeated.

Silence.

Ken sighed to himself as he danced around the reason he was here. He had seen how depressed she looked over the past two weeks. There was something obviously wrong and he couldn't help but be upset with Leon's lack of action.

As far as he could tell, Leon wasn't doing anything to help her out of it.

"Sora," Ken started with strength, but then he faltered as she turned to look at him. She looked like she needed a shoulder to lean on and he couldn't help but entertain the idea that he could offer it. "You can tell me the truth."

"What?"

Ken angled himself to her. "If there's something wrong with…well anything, really – you know you can come to me, right?"

"I do know," she murmured slowly and then looked off to the side. "And I'm glad to have a friend like you."

_Friend friend friend…_ It echoed strangely in his head.

"I'm serious."

Sora tilted her head at his tone. "I know."

"No," he ran his hand through his hair in irritation. "You _don't _know. Not then and not now."

"Ken – "

"All this time I've kept quiet," he interrupted as he abruptly stood up. "I thought that maybe you weren't ready or just needed some time." He chuckled a bitter sound to himself. "But then, before I knew it, you were going off on dates and kissing him all the time," he paused as he was lost in thought, "And then you got married."

Sora's eyes widened as he sat down right next to her, leaving no space between. She opened her mouth to speak, but then her mind screeched to a halt when he grasped her hands.

"I've been in love with you," he said, giving her hands a squeeze. "Ever since I first saw you."

Many thoughts ran through her mind, but she couldn't seem to focus on just one.

_All this time? So many years. How? When? What?_

_Why tell me now?_

She couldn't look Ken in the eye. She couldn't even speak. After another few seconds of silence, she withdrew her hands from his and stood up. She grabbed her shoulder bag and her shoes and walked off without faltering.

She didn't even stop moving when she saw Leon standing close by with two cups in his hands. It wasn't until she was next to Leon that she paused.

"Can we go home?" she half whispered.

Leon's face was blank as she spoke. Then, with a barely noticeable nod from him, she moved once more, this time going to the parking lot.

Leon followed behind, not bothering to look at Ken.

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AN: There is a part 2 for this chapter. I just felt like mood-wise, I needed to break it up.

And Ken confesses, but it isn't the reaction he had been expecting! But really Ken, what were you expecting her to do? Sorry, but I felt like he can't resolve his unspoken feelings with Sora until they were said aloud.


	65. Chapter 65

AN: here's part 2 of the previous chapter!

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Car rides were uncomfortable as of late.

Sora knew that it was, but she hadn't been in the best of moods to be concerned about it. At least, she thought she knew how uncomfortable they were. She shifted in her seat as she felt the silence even more acutely without the festival hanging over her head. She looked over at Leon silently driving, the two cups in the cup holders.

"Is one for me?"

Leon nodded, but kept his gaze forward.

She grabbed the one on her side, taking a careful sip. The spiced peach tea warmed her insides and tickled her nose.

"Thanks," she said, not too surprised when he didn't respond to that either.

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Leon didn't know what to make of her change in mood.

Before the appointment she was floating on a cloud, and then afterwards, she looked like someone filled her shoes with dead weights. At a red light, he ventured to glance at her face, seeing that the heavy weight of whatever it was wasn't as prominent on her face anymore; however, there was still something that lingered.

With an inward sigh, he turned forward again.

Once upon a time, the Circus Festival used to mean something to him.

Back when Sophie was alive and dreaming, winning the festival meant helping his sister get closer to her dream. At the time, he had not cared for stardom in the same way Sophie did. It was a hobby that had the potential to pay the bills handsomely, if you were well-known. For an orphan who had been living off of other people and begging for jobs, the idea of not having to worry about money anymore was so ideal, he had no qualms about learning the trapeze with her.

It was a plus that the trapeze kept his sister happy during their struggling times.

Now, though, the festival was only a reminder of the tragedy of the past.

He was tired of the festival as much as Sora was – the only difference was that he frankly didn't care what he did in regards to the festival while Sora did care.

_Perhaps that is why she claimed that I was cold._

But he did understand her pain.

Unfortunately, the recent notes threat weighed heavily on his mind. He still wasn't certain what exactly the sender meant, '_If you won't end it, I will.' _Did the sender mean ending the partnership with Sora or something more nefarious? What with the noose sent, he was inclined to think that it was the latter meaning.

He looked at her again and something chilling ran through him as he imagined the life leaving her eyes. Stiffly, he looked away, not knowing where that thought came from. With a tired sigh to himself, he pulled up into the parking lot of the apartment and turned off the engine.

They thankfully only had evening and nighttime showings during the weekdays, giving them time to rest at home.

Considering how his thoughts were running, rest seemed ideal, especially with what had transpired some 10 to 15 minutes ago with Ken.

"Leon?"

He blinked out of his stupor, giving his wife a glance and then grabbing his cup. Sora lightly frowned as he got out of the car without a word and then closed the door. She huffed, but got out as well.

SL

Once in the apartment, she spoke up again.

"Leon, about what happened on the beach…" she started, knowing that she'd have to broach this topic sometime. She'd be a fool to think he didn't hear Ken's declaration. "I didn't know he'd say that."

Leon stayed silent as he took off his shoes.

She wet her lips and then continued on. "I was waiting for you and he just _popped_ out of nowhere – "

"I knew already," he murmured, but offered nothing else.

"Y-You knew?" she blinked up at him, "What do you know?"

He glanced at her. "About his feelings for you."

Her lower jaw hung open as he walked away. The movement of his silver hair brought her back to reality. "Now hold on a sec!" She followed him into the living room as he sat down and closed his eyes. "How did _you_ know before I did?"

If his eyes were still open, he'd roll them. "He wasn't subtle about it."

"Oh." She shifted on her feet, not knowing what else to say to that revelation.

With his eyes closed, he heard the coffee table squeak, letting him know that she was sitting on it. Vaguely, he wondered why she didn't sit with him on the couch but then remembered that she hasn't been near him for the past two weeks, not even when they went to bed.

"Do you regret it?" he murmured, his eyes still closed.

"Regret what?" His fingers idly turned his wedding band, the motion catching her eye and making her breath hitch. "Of course not," she said in a hushed tone, as if saying it loud would make it false, "why would you think that?"

Her attitude, for starters. And then the way she was keeping her distance, coupled with the fact that she let Ken touch her…

But he did not say any of this out loud.

"Things here and there," he vaguely responded. She stayed silent for a little more before he spoke again, this time with his eyes opened. "He'd take better care of you."

While he was loathed to admit it, Ken seemed to be more in tune with Sora's fluctuating moods. For the most part, she stayed at an even 'happy' level, but when she dropped out of the norm, Leon found himself struggling to deal with it.

Ken, on the other hand, never seemed to have that problem.

"I'm not a child," she said with a hint of petulance. "You don't have to be constantly taking care of me."

Leon sighed. Staying calm and stable was a lot harder than it sounded like. "I did not mean to suggest you were."

Her bristling ebbed with how tired he looked. "…Why did we get to this point?"

"I don't know," he dryly murmured, sitting up as she opened up the conversation into waters he wanted to venture into. "What happened at the doctor's visit?"

Immediately, she stiffened. "Nothing."

"Sora," he said curtly, suggesting he was in no mood for dancing around the topic. They've been avoiding it for two weeks and the effects were wearing down on both of them.

"It's true," she snipped back and then her gaze fell to the carpet. "Nothing happened."

He took in her sullen expression. He scooted to the edge of the couch, making their legs touch. "Sora," he murmured, his tone gentler than before, "what were you expecting to happen?"

She swallowed, afraid and ashamed to say it. But when the tips of his fingers brushed the back of her hand, she felt herself waver. She looked up at his face, seeing his brows lightly furrowed and his eyes roaming her own face in concern. Her eyes darted back to the cup next to her, the peach tea almost gone.

Someone who was cold wouldn't think to bring her one of her favorite teas, whether they were on speaking terms or not.

She turned back to him, her eyes watery and vulnerable.

With a choked sob, she threw her arms around him. As she cried, her full weight on him and making him sit back against the couch, his hands running along her back and through her hair.

"What's the matter?" he asked in what he hoped was a soothing tone when her tears slowed down. He was relieved she was going to him for comfort, but without knowing what the issue was he was getting worried.

She bit her bottom lip, the reminder of the doctor's appointment twisting her gut.

She wanted to tell him her thoughts, but she was afraid. _Would it cause a rift if I revealed the past history of the women in my family? _It probably should have been something to mention _before_ they got married, but she had been caught up in the excitement of being with him that she had not thought so far ahead. _Could he stay with me if I cannot have children?_

Why oh, why hadn't she thought about this before?

_Baka,_ she chided herself. _He deserves to know._

"I thought I was pregnant," she muttered into his shoulder. She felt him stiffen, but she continued on. "But when the test came out negative, I just…" She sighed, her hold on him tightening as she sought his comfort. "My aunt and mom had trouble getting pregnant," she said in a rush before she decided not to go through with this. "And some other relatives are unable to."

He carefully pulled her head away from his shoulder so he could look at her directly. She felt her eyes welling up with tears again as he stared at her.

"When I got the results, I wondered, 'What if I can't –'" she cut off as she choked on the rest of the sentence. She tried to turn her face away from him, but he was now cupping her face, preventing her.

"You little fool," he chided without much heat, "you selfish, lovable fool."

He kissed her tearstained cheeks. She felt some tears slip out.

"Do not keep something like this to yourself," he murmured against her cheek.

"You're not upset?"

"No."

"But I might not be able to –" she started, but his nose bumped into hers, stopping her.

"We don't know that," he said as his thumbs rubbed her cheeks, "Even so, you are still serving your life sentence."

She gave a laugh at that. "We can't forget about that."

His eyes glinted with mischief. "No."

She placed her head back on his shoulder, sighing in comfort when his arms went around her.

He missed this.

He missed the way she cuddled in bed with him, sometimes even holding his hand as they slept. As of late, she chose to grip her pillow instead of turning to him for solace. And then in the mornings, she was facing away from him, not gracing him with a smile like she used to.

He wanted her to hum as she went about the apartment or to bob her head and swing her hips to her music when she thought he wasn't looking. As he looked down at her, a small smile playing on her lips as she sat on his lap, he felt like she was coming back to him.

This was Sora.

This was the person he missed with an ache that constantly made his insides clench.

"Sora," he said with affection.

She looked up at his angled head, seeing the warmth that colored his grey eyes. She felt entranced by it, lifting her head up to his. She hesitated, her lips a centimeter shy from his. He waited patiently, letting her decide what to do. His eyes half closed as she decided to continue on, her lips brushing against his.

He admired how soft her lips always were, deciding to no longer tease her about the number of chap sticks she had around. If they kept her lips this soft, then he needed to buy her more.

She liked the solid feeling of him against her, as if nothing could get past him and hurt her. His eyes were always appreciating her form, looking and liking what he saw. She knew he approved by the way his eyes lidded more and his hands touched what he saw.

Quietly, he reassured her in ways she hadn't known she needed. She could not imagine feeling more treasured than here in his arms.

"Leon," she half whimpered, her hands restless as they kissed.

The sensation of her hands moving up and down his chest was making him dizzy. When her slender fingers undid a few buttons of his shirt and slipped in past the material, his mind was a hurricane. Desire ran hot and sluggish through his veins as his thoughts were scattered everywhere, only knowing the sensation of her touch. How long had he gone without her touch?

He felt her press up against him to deepen their kiss.

_Far too long_, he groaned as he lifted her up and placed her against the couch cushions. Her eyes were half closed as he nipped her neck, his hands working on undoing her own top. As he stripped her shirt off and his fingers danced along her torso, she realized they were moving faster than she thought they would.

"Not here," she mewled as she instinctively arched against him.

He let out a long exhale. "Why not?"

She flushed as he kissed down her breastbone. _Because I'd like to sit on the couch without thinking about our encounter. _When she'd have friends over, she wouldn't be able to look at the couch the same if they continued. She couldn't even begin to think about having her family sitting on a couch she had sex on.

_Yume_, she blanched. _Kami, no._

"Bedroom," she firmly tugged his hair as his mouth reached the edge of her bra, "or else we stop."

He did not argue with her, instead lifting her up to her feet. Their energy could be better used in more pleasurable activities than arguing.

Slowly, as their hands wandered, stripping articles of clothing off and leaving a trail down the hall; and mouths nibbling skin and lips kissing and brushing, they reached their destination.

They fell on the bed, the mattress letting out a faint creak as they landed.

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	66. Chapter 66

AN: Sorry it took a while! One of the hardest parts of writing is taking scenes out. :/ In favor of moving things along, I had to edit and re-edit. Some of you are probably like "things are still moving slow!" XD All in due time, dear readers.

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Morning came and Sora sat on the edge of the bed on his side, her fingers running along the contours of his face. She woke up early today, having gotten a good amount of uninterrupted sleep. She was just placing a tray by the nightstand on his side of the bed when his sleeping form caught her eye.

Idly, she wondered what features their kids would have if she did ever get pregnant. _When_, she corrected. Thinking in the 'if' was not having a positive outlook.

_Maybe his nose? _Her fingers trailed the arch to the tip. _His mouth?_

She started to touch his lips, but then withdrew when he twitched. He mumbled something incoherent, but did not awaken. She smiled, moving her fingers to trace his eyebrow instead. She would love to have a child with his grey eyes.

His hair, oh yes…Her mother would have a field day playing with it.

When she ran her fingers through his hair when she saw his eyes crack upon. She offered him a sheepish look and half shrug. When he merely looked expectantly at her, she giggled under her breath.

_He wants me to continue._

Her fingers dug more into his hair and his eyelids drooped at the relaxing sensation. Languidly, he watched as the thin strap of her nightgown slowly slipped off a shoulder as her arm moved. He supposed there could be worse ways to wake up – though he really wasn't certain if he was awake or not.

"Morning sleepy head," she said with a smile.

He gave her a slow blink and then turned his head to the side table when he recognized the smell of sausages and maple syrup signaled pancakes or waffles. As he blankly stared at the tall glass of orange juice, he felt the situation grow even more dreamlike and surreal – especially with the way the early morning light softened her image and the gentle, relaxing touch of her hand.

Wordlessly, he gave her thigh a pinch.

She squeaked and flinched from the action, causing her fingers to pause. "What was that for?"

"To see if I was still sleeping," he calmly said.

"You know," she pouted as she rubbed the spot he pinched, "most people pinch _themselves_, not the supposed illusion, to check."

Knowing that he was indeed awake, he felt his mood brighten even more. Effortlessly, he pulled her closer to him. His silver hair tickled her leg as he bent over, causing her to giggle. When he placed a kiss on the area he pinched, she felt her heart pitter-patter a little faster, especially when he did not stop with just one kiss.

His lips brushed up her thigh, making her breath catch when he began to push the nightgown up. It wasn't long to begin with, merely ending mid-thigh, but he was quite fond of feeling her shapely legs.

"Leon," she started, but did not say anything else as his other hand ran along her calf.

Her eyelids grew heavy from his touch. She hadn't expected this kind of beginning for their morning, but she couldn't argue against it, not when her own hands went along his broad shoulders. She idly watched as his shoulder muscles shifted as he moved, inwardly approving her husband's decision to sleep without a shirt.

Not that she'd say that out loud. She'd still be too embarrassed to, even at this stage of their relationship.

He let out a warm breath when he felt her nails run along his neck.

"I'm sorry," she softly murmured. He paused and looked up at her. Seeing his brows furrow a little, she sighed. "I know I haven't been all that great lately, even accusing you of being cold." She placed her hand along his cheek. "Can you forgive me?"

Unblinkingly, he stared at her. Then, after a few more seconds, he deftly pulled her further onto the bed, shifting himself so she lay where he had.

Brown eyes blinked up at him, waiting for his response.

The back of his fingers stroked her face. He thought about what she withheld and weighed it against what he had yet to tell her, personal or not. He considered telling her about the threatening notes or what happened with Aliya and the accusations of the pregnancy, but he decided not to.

_Not yet. _They were barely reconciling. He didn't feel like throwing too much her way all at once. _Coward_, his mind whispered. He agreed, but still pushed it aside.

In comparison to what he was withholding, she had nothing to apologize for.

"Of course," he rumbled out.

Her eyes closed as he kissed her. It was feathery light and smooth, making her smile. She has a range of kisses she's received from him, starting with soft affection to something she could only think to label as hungry. When she received those kind of kisses, she felt like he was restless; she being both the source and cure for such smoldering heat.

She felt his hand along her thigh once again, making her open her eyes. Wordlessly, she moved her leg, allowing for him to settle himself between them. His hands caressed the lithe limbs on either side of his waist while her hands cupped his face and her thumbs ran along his jaw.

As her thumbs moved to brush his cheeks, she noted that his eyes weren't so tired these past couple of days. The pangs of guilt stung her heart, knowing that she had been the source of his sleepless nights. One of her hands slipped from the side of his face to run through the strands of hair that curtained them.

"I made you worried."

"Yes," he rumbled out in agreement, nipping her nose in reprimand, "but that is not the case now."

"No," she mused with some humor as he continued his earlier mission to remove her nightgown, "I think something else has your attention."

She caught his half smirk before her view was momentarily blocked by her silk nightgown. Blindly, she lifted herself off of the mattress to help him and then laid back down when only the straps had to come off. Her arms lifted up and the gown was off. He tossed it to the side without looking away from her, making her cheeks heat up as he admired her form in only her underwear.

Her own hands touched his torso. She watched his face as he reacted: grey eyes darkened in desire, long exhale through the nose, and thin lips ever so slightly parted.

"Hmm," she said, her hands continuing exploring his skin. "I think you lost some weight. Sure you don't want to eat first?"

He would have reacted sooner to her teasing if her hands weren't causing so much chaos. In the beginning of this new physical stage of their relationship, she had been shy about touching him so much. By the furtive glances she had sent his way as she touched him, he could tell she had been worried about doing something wrong.

Which was truly a ridiculous notion.

Her touches ranged depending on her mood, starting from 'faintly ticklish,' to a very broad category he liked to label as 'no return.' For 'no return' touches, once he felt them, there really was nothing that could change his mind about wanting to make love.

Right now the way her palms were repeatedly running over him, her touch was definitely a 'no return'.

"I want you first," he murmured against her lips, his eyes intently staring into hers.

Red bloomed all over her face, but she was secretly pleased. She was more comfortable with intercourse than when they were first married. Leon had been patient with her, she could tell now that she had his more recent behavior to compare with, and she couldn't have asked for a more understanding husband.

Though sometimes, she wondered about him.

He obviously hadn't been as shy as she was with the initial idea of sex – he had been more cautious and slow but she had a feeling it was more for her sake than his. She came to the understanding that he had dated others before marrying her, especially when he had first expressed his desire to kiss her and warned her that he did not do quick pecks on the lips.

_How many had he dated? And how far did those dates go?_

She wondered, but had not worked up the nerve to ask.

Having been watching her facial expressions, he saw the moment when something flashed across her eyes, dulling the passion.

"What's wrong?"

She blinked the thought away and offered a faint smile. "Nothing really. I was just thinking." Her eyes flickered to the side, finding it easier to speak her current thoughts without looking at him. "Did you date often?"

He gave her a slow blink and slightly tilted his head. He wasn't sure how she came to thinking about that, but didn't want to leave it unanswered. She was speaking to him again. He didn't want to discourage that.

The previous silence had been most unpleasant.

"I went on a few dates before Sophie's death and a few after," he worded carefully. Slight pause. "Why do you ask, if you don't mind telling me?"

She gave him a small shrug. "Like I said, just thinking."

He hmmed as he leaned on his forearms, the limbs on either side of her head. By the way she was avoiding his gaze, he was getting a better idea of what was going on inside her head.

_She's daunted, perhaps even a little intimidated by the past women._

He truly had not dated that many women; he didn't have the time. Though, he couldn't tell her that they had been nothing for some of the dates had meant something back then. He couldn't say they were all healthy relationships or that they went no further than kissing.

His thumb idly brushed the side of her face, considering what he could say.

"I had not thought I would have dated a redhead," he murmured.

Her gaze went back to him, a slow smile teasing her lips with his declaration. He relaxed, glad that his words calmed her down.

"I really didn't think I'd date someone with long hair, let alone marry."

"What do you think now?"

Her eyes drifted around them, seeing what looked like an endless waterfall of silver. "I guess it will do, even though it's longer than my hair," she exaggeratedly sighed. She lifted her hand back to his face, resting her palm against his cheek. "And what about you? Do you like red now?"

A slow grin appeared on his face. "I suppose yours is satisfactory."

"You better love it," she brushed her lips against his repeatedly, "for I'm the only redhead you'll ever date."

"First and last," he promised before heatedly kissing her.

Their bodies rolled against one another as they kissed, their desire picking up where it left off. Her mews goaded him on and his half groans encouraged her. Her arms tightly held onto him, her mouth hungry for his in a way she had not known she could feel.

_This burning liquid in my veins, this hazy, heated feeling…_

Was this what he felt when he kissed her like she was kissing him?

As her hands restlessly ran along his bare back, her mouth moving over his incessantly, and her body arching and writhing against his, she felt awakened to passion on a whole other level.

In this moment, he realized that he is her first and only lover. He couldn't undo the past, couldn't give her the same title that she willingly gave him, but he would make sure she would understand what she was that no one else could claim.

She is his first and only love.

The others were more of simple attraction or a desire to escape the pain of loss. When he was with Sora, he felt it from earlier on, even before they were married. Her affection and kindness were a balm for his spirit, a rekindling of life in a stony body. She is love in the truest sense of the word.

"_Mon amour,_" he huskily whispered between kisses.

"_Anata,_" she whimpered out, her hands drifting down his lower back.

SL

Sunday's night showing was sold out since Friday morning.

With only a week left in _Zorro_'s season, Ken wasn't too surprised. Even May finding out about the declaration of love he said to Sora nearly a week ago and then getting scolded for it hadn't surprised him either. May has always been on top of things at the stage

What did surprise him was bumping into Sora.

Both had been looking down, he at his clipboard and she on her phone, when they rounded the hallway corner from opposite ends and collided. Her previous smile changed into shock as her phone slipped out of her fingers and crashed onto the floor. She had been in the middle of asking Leon where he was so they could grab something quick to eat when she bumped into someone.

She withheld a squeak when she noticed it was Ken.

He was startled as well, but snapped out of it sooner than she did. As he bent over to pick up the clipboard and loose papers, Sora moved into action, bending down to do the same.

Quietly, they gathered the papers, only pausing when their fingers brushed for the last page.

Sora murmured an apology. He stared at the ring on her finger for a bit longer than necessary and then looked away.

"It's fine."

Sora bit her lip. "Your frown doesn't say it is."

What he wouldn't give for her to have paid attention sooner…

"Now you're noticing things?"

"I said I was sorry," she huffed. "I don't know what else you want me to do!"

He stared at her mouth, her lower lip sticking out as she pursed them. _Kiss me_. _Just once and then I can at least have that. _He blinked out of that train of thought as she snagged her phone and stood up. He called out to her, making her pause in her steps.

"You're right. There's nothing else that can be done."

Her face softened. "I'm sorry. Really, I am."

He let himself think that she was apologizing for not choosing him, pointedly ignoring the love bites along her shoulder and neck that were revealed when she pushed her hair back subconsciously, the thin straps of her tank top hiding nothing. In the back of his mind, he knew she was apologizing for causing the pain of unrequited love but that sounded a little too close to pity for his liking.

"See you later," he said and then walked off.

"See you," he heard her say, but he did not turn back around until he heard her footsteps.

He watched her red hair move with her steps, hearing her giggle as she read her text message. He turned forward again, and quickly sidestepped before crashing into yet another person.

"Marie?"

Said teen fumbled with the cloth in her hands, a peeking of saffron colored silk showing from underneath the yards of curtain fabric.

"Mr. Ken!" she shook her earbuds out, her music blaring. "Sorry about that! I need to take this to get fixed."

Ken blinked. "Oh, well ok. Just make sure you get it all back in time."

"Will do!" The teen yelled out as she jogged down the hallway.

"That was weird," he mumbled. He hadn't been aware that there were things that needed fixing. He was going to need to talk about the stage crew not informing him of things.

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AN: And we're moving and moving! I'll try to get the next chapter up soon!


	67. Chapter 67

AN: Look, I updated soon after the previous one! :D

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The Sunday night show was underway.

Sora frantically applied cover up along her neck. She hadn't realized that the love bites were still visible until after her first scene with Zorro, what with Mia teasing relentlessly and May snickering.

A knock on the door made her pause. She pouted when her husband stepped in.

"Thanks a lot!" she groused, her cheeks still painted a deep red. "Why didn't you tell me how much they showed before we left the apartment?"

He leaned against her dressing table as she caked her neck with the powder.

"You left marks as well."

She turned to look at him, her finger pointed up to say that there were no marks on him when he easily moved his hair aside and pulled his collar down. She sputtered, her finger dropping down when she saw the undeniable coloration of a hickey or two – she wasn't certain if it was multiple ones or just one big one.

"A-Are those…?"

"Teeth marks," he amusedly finished for her. "My angel is secretly a wildcat."

She covered her face as she felt it heat up even more. He took more enjoyment out of her embarrassment than he probably should have, though he hadn't been the one that had nibbled his neck so much - not that he was complaining.

"You only have three more minutes," he told her as he fixed his collar.

"Move your hair, it's still visible!" He slanted his eyes to her and then opened the door without moving his hair, leaving the marks visible. "Leon!" she half shrieked as he closed the door.

She wasn't sure which was worse: the marks on her or the marks on him. On her, people knew Leon did it. But if _his_ marks were visible, then it was obviously done by _her_…

"I'm not going to hear the end of this," she bemoaned.

She gave her neck a few more pats of cover up and then closed the make-up case. Taking a look at the time, she quickly fixed her costume and left.

On the way backstage, she spotted a very familiar friend.

"Jerry?"

Said police officer turned around and smiled. "Hey Sora! Ken was starting to wonder where you were!"

"I was just touching up my stage make-up. What're you doing back here?"

"Oh just acting as security," he said with a hand rubbing the back of his neck, "Kalos called saying one of the regular guards was sick or something and asked me to step in."

"I didn't know you could do that."

"Yeah well," Jerry absentmindedly responded, "I managed to pull some strings with my department." His smile waned a little as his face grew serious. "Have you noticed anything strange today?"

"Strange?" she tilted her head. "How?"

Jerry hmmed and then sighed. "Never mind then." Smile back up, he gave her a wave. "Go give a fantastic show, Sora!"

"Ok," she slowly said, not quite sure what that was about.

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Silently, Leon looked over his bullwhip.

He ran his thumb over the handle and gave the whip portion a tug. _Feels a little loose._ He doubted it would fall apart during the show, but he wasn't up for taking any chances.

Especially not today.

He couldn't explain this feeling in his gut. He truly had no proof that something was going to happen. After all, his morning had been quite pleasant and lunch with his wife had been followed by some kissing and nipping.

All in all, today has been a great day.

_…Perhaps too great. _

His hands deftly wrapped some black heavy duty tape around the handle of the whip. He was aware that he was potentially being paranoid, especially since he requested that Jerry monitor the inner hallways for any suspicious behavior.

Today, the sun was shining, but he knew from experience that clouds could quickly cover it over. Perhaps he was too jaded now, broken and beyond repair, but when he has several 'perfect' days in a row, he felt like there was something just waiting around the corner to attack.

After all, when he and Sophie had been invited to the festival, they thought everything was going their way and stardom was just a competition away.

Look what happened then…

"Thirty seconds!" yelled out one of the stage crew members.

He ripped the tape and smoothed the end over. As he re-coiled his whip, he spotted his wife taking position off to the left side of him. She was in her red skirt for the dance scene, her hair half piled up with a rose pinned to the side. When she spotted him looking, she unsnapped her fan and moved the lacy devise back and forth, haughtily tilting her head away from him.

Despite his uneasiness, he couldn't help but grin at her playfulness.

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The dim lights, the sultry music, and his arms around her…

The stage was hot and she found that she liked it.

In the beginning of the scene, Sora thought there was something up with Leon, especially the way he kept sneaking a quick look around for something. But gradually as they danced, his concentration stayed on her.

That is, until the long platform disconnected into three.

His eyes changed from looking at the platforms to her. She grew a little worried when he nearly stumbled on his own feet. Deviating a little from the original choreograph, she wrapped an arm around his neck, bringing her flush against him. Face to face sooner than planned, Leon's eyes widened a little, but he quickly adjusted.

"Are you ok?" she murmured, her fingers lightly rubbing his neck in comfort.

He gave her no answer, instead grabbing the hand around his neck and making her twirl. She followed along, deciding that now was not the time to be pushing for answers.

They struck their end pose as the violin and Sarah stopped, bringing out loud cheers.

Deftly, Sora grasped Leon's hand and led him off the stage when the scene ended. Finding an empty area backstage, she stopped them there.

"What's going on Leon?"

He gave a shrug. "Nothing in particular."

She placed a hand on her hip. "It doesn't seem like nothing."

He sighed to himself. How could he explain this terrible sense of foreboding to someone who suspects nothing nefarious from others; someone who believes in the best of people, even the God of Death?

She was about to ask another question when he laid a hand on her cheek.

"Be careful today."

He lightly ran his thumb over her lips. She shivered at the thrilling sensation, though the feeling did not last. The wistful, melancholic look in his eyes made her gut twist, watering her eyes.

Her hand touched his and then he withdrew.

_Leon…_

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As the show continued on, Leon slowly allowed himself to relax.

Nothing happened during their dance.

There was no accident when they were fencing and his whip stayed in full contact.

After each scene, he checked in with Jerry to see if there was anything to report or any people that were trying to sneak backstage to sabotage them.

Nothing.

Sora stood in front of him in a short blue skirt and a full body suit of white and he came forward to lead them in a short waltz. Overhead, he heard the clanking of the large circle with the twin silks being lowered. He twirled her away from him and she artfully leapt over to her side just as the silks unraveled. He gave the saffron colored silk a tug but did not feel anything giving way.

He gave Sora's a quick look and didn't see any tears in it.

_Perhaps I am being paranoid._

Sora was already halfway up her silks and Leon quickly got to it. Wrapping a hand around the silk, he jogged across the stage to build enough momentum and then leapt up his silks and started to climb. The metal ball holding his silks moved and as he was about to pass Sora, he held his hand out and she pushed off of it, allowing her to move in the opposite direction.

He let his silks flutter for a bit and then he wrapped his forearms around each silk. Hanging by his forearms, he pulled his body up and up, flipping over and over to achieve a good height. Sora had dropped down earlier and was starting to climb back up again when he felt it.

The silk around his right arm was drooping.

Alarmed, he looked up at the metal ball just in time to see the right silk tear all the way through and the left one already halfway.

He looked over at Sora, seeing her eyes widen as the right silk fluttered to the ground.

_Riiip._

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He was falling, yet again.

Before coming to the Kaleido Stage, he had never fallen. Maybe it was karma or some sort of divine punishment that was going on. After all, he had ended so many careers and injured so many partners.

So why shouldn't he be punished for his wrongdoings?

He was the only one falling or else Sora's silk would have ripped already. As she was coming close to him, her hands outstretched and screaming his name, he could tell that he wouldn't be able to reach her hands.

Not even an angel could save him from the past.

It was expected.

He looked down at the ground for a second, trying to gauge how high up he was. He wouldn't die, not from this height, but seeing as he already broke his legs before his body might not be able to mend them properly this time.

_Damn._

He actually liked performing. It was upsetting that he would have to end his career so soon after finding his partner. Though, he did have a decent amount of years with her if he thought about it, however, he knew he would want more.

Anything under ten years would barely be satisfactory.

But he would not be parted from her, even injured. He could at least take some comfort in that.

He was jolted away from his thoughts as a pair of hands unexpectedly grabbed his arm and halted his descent, though the hold started slipping. Instinctively, he grabbed her wrist in time and she held on to his with both hands.

"Mmph.." she half whimpered out.

At the pitiful sound, he scanned her face, seeing her biting her lips hard and her brows in a deep furrow. _She's in pain._ He tried to see what the cause was but he couldn't see beyond her face. All he knew was that his weight was putting unnatural stress somewhere.

"Sora, let go."

She shook her head.

"I'm hurting you," he re-iterated, his own brows furrowing.

When he loosened his grip, she held on even tighter.

"Don't you _dare_," she bit out, her eyes flashing. "_Kami_ help me - " she halted as pain flitted across her face, making her lower her head momentarily and out of his view. She vaguely heard him asking her where she was hurting, but she did not answer.

"Sora," he said again, a plea clear in his voice, "_Let go_. It's fine."

She lifted her head, tears watering her eyes as her mouth was a firm line.

"No."

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AN: I was tempted to end the chapter here, but thought I'd be nice today. XD

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Helplessly, Ken watched from the tech box as Sora held onto Leon.

Unlike Leon, he had seen her hastily wrap silk around her right foot and then drop down even more to grab him. Unfortunately, he could see that she had been too hastily and her foot was twisted in an unnatural angle.

"Lower the silks faster!"

The techies were working as fast as they can, dimming the lights so the figures could be seen but not so it was too obvious that something was wrong. But Ken knew there was something wrong.

For the longer she held on, the more damage was being done to her foot.

Feeling useless in the tech box, Ken left.

"I need someone to call Dr. Kate here ASAP," Ken firmly instructed in his headset as he ran out to the backstage. "And have security do a sweep of the area for any foul play. We can't rule anything out right now."

As he neared backstage, Anna ran over with her two friends.

"Ken, don't dim the lights too much!"

"Anna, we can't have people seeing – "

"Yeah, yeah, we can't afford another performer accident," Anna hastily pushed aside, "but we need to see so we can move the cushion."

"What?"

"You know," her hands fluttered restlessly, "that squishy thing I fall on when Zorro beats me! If that's under them – "

"Then Leon can let go and stop putting pressure on Sora's foot," Ken finished as he realized the plan. "Ok, go do that!"

Anna ran out with her comedy team while Ken contacted the techies.

SL

Leon felt the silks being lowered, but it was much too slow.

_Damned technology._ He was going to have a talk with Kalos about fixing that problem.

"Does it hurt still?"

Sora gave him a short nod. He felt useless.

Quickly, he scanned around and finding the end of one of her silks he started to wrap his foot around it, but when he put his weight on it, she let out a sharp cry.

He immediately untangled his foot. _Whatever's inured is wrapped around both silks._

He laid his forehead on their hands. "Forgive me."

"It's ok," she managed to get out around the haze of pain her mind was in. "Accident."

He shook his head. "Sabotage," he darkly murmured.

She abruptly looked at him, but she could only see the top of his silver head.

"What?"

Below, there was some scruffing and then a loud 'plop!'

"Leon!" Anna called out. "You can drop down! Got a cushion for you!"

Leon lifted his head, wordlessly telling Sora to let go. She hesitated for a few seconds and then loosened her grip. She clenched her eyes close as his fingers left her, not wanting to see him fall and only opened them when she heard him land.

She let out a relieved breath. _He's safe._

Though, she really didn't know what her condition was.

SL

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	68. Chapter 68

SL

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They called for a short break as Dr. Kate checked on Sora's foot.

Leon had carried her to her dressing room and was now standing in front of Jerry, Ken, and Kalos in his dressing room. Backstage and the tech box were too chaotic to meet; Kalos' office was too far to be wasting time walking to. Jerry and Leon looked somber, Ken was nervous, and Kalos was Kalos – ever the blank slate.

Though, Ken wished the owner would show _something_, especially during this time.

"You sure you don't want to be with Sora?" Jerry asked to Leon.

Initially, Leon had been with Sora as Dr. Kate inspected her foot. But every time Sora whimpered or clenched her hand, he felt even more useless than he already was. He couldn't do anything for her there; he was no doctor. But even so, when he had been unraveling the silk from her foot he could tell she wouldn't be performing for quite a while.

_I've done enough damage for one evening,_ he thought with self-disgust.

"I can do more here," was all Leon said to Jerry.

Jerry took in his tone and the tight fist by his side. "Alright," the burly man boomed with authority, "I've got security rounding up anyone that was backstage around the incident. We should make sure they're all counted for and can say where they were."

"There were no backstage passes tonight," Ken said as he looked over his clipboard, "so there shouldn't have been civilians."

"Have tech and wardrobe look over the silks and the metal circle," Kalos instructed, "we need to know if it was sabotage first before looking for a smoking gun."

Leon scoffed to himself. "I checked the stage myself. It was sabotage."

"You know Leon," Ken said with irritation coloring his voice, "it could have just been an accident. You just didn't see that the silks were wearing out."

Leon did not outright say it, but Ken didn't appreciate that he was blaming one of their people for the accident.

"I don't _overlook_ things," Leon bit out. "Meaning it was sabotaged sometime before the show and after I did my usual checkup. That, then would mean it was someone who was familiar with my habits and how long it takes me to finish, suggesting it was a member of the stage."

"But it's _Kaleido Stage_," Ken argued, "there is no conflict between members!"

Leon gave Ken a pointed look.

Ken then remembered the beach and the way Sora's hands felt in his own, and then he felt that chilling moment when he looked up and saw Leon nearby, his face like stone but his eyes alive with thunder. He had confessed his feelings to a _married woman _and her husband had heard it, seen it…

He tried to keep Leon's gaze but was forced to look away after a few seconds.

"There's no _major_ conflict between members," Ken quietly reworded, "at least, nothing that would result in broken bones during a live performance."

Leon stared at Ken a little longer and then relented, switching to look at Jerry.

"It is unlikely that those who have been here the longest would have done it," Leon gave Ken a sidelong glance and then looked back at Jerry, "Sora's motto may not have seeped into the new hires yet."

"Compile a list," Kalos told Ken, "and then give it to Jerry."

SL

Kate was done when Leon returned.

Her friends hovered around Sora, talking and hugging her as she sat down. Leon was glad that her friends were there but he wished they'd stop talking so loudly and over each other…

"I need her in my office for some x-rays as soon as possible," Kate said to Leon at the doorway. "I was only able to do a temporary fix so she has some pain killers and an ice pack for now."

"Thank you," Leon quietly responded.

Kate looked at Leon's face. She may not know the man personally, but she had treated him when he broke his legs. In his sleep he had cried out the first nights. She had to recommend heavier sedation to the hospital staff since she was only there to check on his vitals per Kalos' request. Right now, the slight frown on his face and the still eyes made her reach a hand out to pat his shoulder.

"She'll be ok."

While Sora was his first love, he knew that he was her second love. The stage was first and foremost. He knew that when he dated her and he recalled that when he offered her the engagement ring.

_I injured her on her beloved stage. _He would never forgive himself even though he had asked her for forgiveness. It had been a moment of forgetfulness, but he now that he saw the extent of the damage, he knew better than to ask her again.

He didn't deserve it.

Kate gave him another pat and then left.

Leon watched from the doorway like a stranger entering a new house and he knocked against the door frame instead of just coming in. They turned around to look at him and he couldn't shake the feeling that he didn't belong here.

"See ya Sora!"

"We'll let Ken and Kalos know!"

Sora waved to her friends and then turned her attention back to Leon when the last one left.

"Hey stranger," she teased. "How are you feeling?"

He gave her a half shrug. "How are you?"

"Better now that the meds are kicking in," she sighed, "but I can't rest just yet."

When she made to stand, he stopped her. "What are you doing?"

She blinked at him. "I'm changing. We need to finish the show."

"You," he stressed as he leaned forward, "are staying here."

"I'm fine," she half laughed, gently pushing his shoulder so he would move. He allowed it, and watched as she stood up.

Or at least tried to.

She bit her lip a little, preventing a whimper from coming out. Then, she forced a grin on her face as she subtly shifted more weight to her left foot.

"See? I can stand! No worries."

"Yes, because the stage is only standing still," he drawled out with no humor.

"Then we'll improvise," she lightly replied back.

A bead of sweat went down the side of her temple as the strain on her foot was taking its toll. Leon frowned upon seeing it.

"I do not think you can perform anymore tonight."

"I can," she bit out.

"Oh?" he murmured as he crossed his arms. "Then walk to the mirror."

"What?"

"If you're as fine as you say you are, you can do something as simple as walking."

She looked at the distance, the five or so steps looking more daunting than she had expected it to be. _I can do this._ If she could perform while doing the Angel's Maneuver training, then she could walk to a blasted mirror.

She lifted her head and stepped.

Her teeth clenched as the pain shot up her limb, but she refused to let Leon see, so she kept her lips closed.

Another step and her fingernails were digging into her palms.

Third step and she wavered but found her footing.

She was close, so very close. She took in a breath. _Go fast. Get it over with._ She hobbled the last steps, the pain in her mind so intense she fell forward and onto the full length mirror on the wall.

The mirror fell off its hook and crashed to the floor.

Her knees buckled; the strain on her foot making her legs weak. Leon swooped her up in order to prevent her from falling on the broken shards of mirror.

Her body trembled as she leaned on him.

"Stubborn fool," he murmured, leaning his cheek against the side of her head.

She gripped his shirt tightly as her foot continued to throb. "Help me finish," she choked out a plea. "Just this one show and then I'll rest, I promise."

As he felt tears wet his neck, he knew he could not ignore her request, especially since she rarely asked _anyone_ for help.

_A pair of fools_, he corrected in his mind.

SL

The final fight scene was edited, seeing as there was no way Sora could fence with her foot injured.

So they improvised.

Instead of having Esperanza fighting alongside Fuego, Zorro placed her on the balcony and gave her a pistol. From above she shot enemies in a long range attack while Fuego did the short range with the sword.

Smoke came out of her gun as she shot, bracing herself on the railing for support. She could tell he wasn't happy with the setup, but went along with it for the sake of her happiness.

She stole a glance at her husband, wondering about the accident. He had said that it was sabotage as they hung on the silks. _Does that mean he thinks someone purposefully cut his silks? Does he know who did it?_

Don Malo came on the scene and she ceased firing as the duo fought.

When Zorro beat him, he went over to Fuego to get bandaged and then swung up to the balcony. He wrapped an arm around her waist needlessly, if only to give her more support. She gratefully leaned against him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Thanks," she whispered.

He did not say anything back, merely half closing his eyes when she kissed him. He knew the stage was number one in her heart, loving to perform even to the point of further injuring herself. He entered this relationship knowing that and married her despite it.

In this moment, however, he wished it wasn't so.

SL

The apartment was silent as Leon carried her in.

After closing the front door, he placed her on the bed, putting a pillow under her foot and taking out her pajamas. Then, he retreated somewhere, allowing her time to change. Gingerly, she took off her clothes and only put on the big t-shirt. She had claimed one of his shirts as hers, liking how comfy and loose it fit on her. She forewent her shorts, not in the mood to bend over and carefully slip her legs through the short holes.

The shirt was long enough.

In the lamplight, she looked at her foot and tsked when she saw how swollen it looked. The pain killers actually reduced the swelling but even then it was still pretty bad. She wouldn't lie; she was pretty worried about it. But tomorrow morning Dr. Kate would have the results of the tests so for now, she decided to stay as calm as possible.

She heard the fridge doors open and then close. Shortly afterwards, Leon came in with a hand towel and a bag of ice. Carefully, he placed the ice over her foot, the chill making her flinch and then sigh when the cold slowly eased the pain.

"Thanks."

He nodded and then went to his drawers to get his change of clothing. As he undressed and slipped his pajama pants on, she debated about asking him what he meant, wondering if it would be too much for one night.

"I'll probably need crutches," she decided to start with.

"We'll get them tomorrow," she heard him murmur as he slipped his white tank on.

"…Leon?"

"Hm?"

"What did you mean by 'sabotage'?"

He had finished dressing and was making his way to the bed when she asked the question. He halted in his steps, looked at her, and then continued to the bed.

_Where to start…?_

She kept her eyes on him as he sat on the bed with his back to her. She frowned at the positioning.

"I have been keeping something from you," he murmured. She let out a sound, but clammed up when he spoke up again. "There had been threats sent to me through the stage. I don't know who and I can only guess why." He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair and then turned his head towards her. "But the sender was upset with me only."

"Is it because of the past?"

He reached a hand out to touch her, but then stopped. With the light streaming from behind her, she looked even more out of reach than she already was. It was his fault, he knew, but he had gotten used to being able to touch her without thinking about the weight of his previous life.

"Most likely," he said and then lied down on the bed.

After a while of silence, she clicked the lamp on her side off and then laid back. When her hand stroked his arm, he flinched and shifted away from her a little. Her hand dropped down on the mattress.

"Are you upset with me?" she half whispered.

He turned his head back towards her. "Why would I be upset with you?"

She touched the long silver hair on the pillow. "I injured myself and now you don't want contact."

He was still for a moment. "…You didn't injure yourself."

"Didn't I? I was the one that didn't wrap her foot properly."

"You wouldn't have done that," he countered quietly, "if I hadn't fallen." He turned his head away from her as if in shame. "And now, you can't perform."

"It will heal."

"But not soon enough."

It was her turn to be quiet as she thought. "Do you think I regret catching you?" When he stayed silent, she let out a breath. "Leon, you were falling. Of course I don't blame you for what happened with my foot!"

He heard the mattress squeak as she shifted and by the warmth now along his side, he knew she was close.

"I made a vow on our wedding day to your family," she lightly reached over and turned his face towards her, "I told them that I'd protect you."

He watched her face, seeing her lips pursed and her eyes focused on him. "Even at the risk of not performing again?"

Despite her foot, she pulled herself up until her head was level with his.

She firmly kissed him. His hands automatically came up to her waist to steady her.

"Don't ask stupid questions," she murmured against his lips and then rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm tired," she sighed, laying a hand along his torso. "We'll continue talking in the morning."

His arm went around her waist, still in a bit of a daze.

He hadn't known that he was above the stage.

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AN: Thanks for the reviews! I'm trying to crank these chapters out so it's not that long of a wait! :D


	69. Chapter 69

AN: I had some fun with this one and creative. ;P

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Leon woke up before the sun.

Silently, he watched his wife sleep as she hugged him in her sleep. It made him smile, knowing that she sought him out even when unconscious. He looked at the clock and then slowly unwrapped his wife's arms from around him.

"Mm…" she stirred when his warmth was no longer by her side. "Where are you going?"

"Practice," he murmured, lightly kissing her forehead.

Sora hmmed, her sleepy mind remembering that the understudies needed to learn their new roles before tonight's show.

"My appointment?"

Leon shook his head at the inarticulate phrasing. "I'll be back for that." He slid his pillow into her arms and she immediately latched onto it.

"Don't be long," she groggily murmured, "or else this pillow's my new husband."

He chuckled and then gave her a roguish grin. "That pillow can't even begin to fill my role."

She smiled with her eyes closed, nuzzling the pillow. "Then let's not test that statement."

If she wasn't injured, he would have pounced on her and reminded her in what ways the pillow fell short. Instead, he caressed her thigh, taking pride in the way her cheeks colored under the lamplight.

Then he left the bedroom, intent on getting a good head start on the day.

SL

All night, Ken worked on the new hire list for Jerry.

And all night, he wondered.

He had seen Marie walking with the stage curtains earlier that day. He could have sworn he saw a peeking of the silk for the act underneath all of that just before she had shifted the curtain, covering it over.

Was it really a memory?

Or was Leon's accusation about it being sabotage poisoning the recollection?

_But for what reason would Marie have in hurting anyone?_ Ken thought as he walked the hallway to Kalos' office this early morning. Sure, she wasn't their best worker, but Ken thought with a little pushing and training, she could be a great stage crew member. She knew her way around fabrics and had an eye for color schemes.

Why, she had been the one to help choose the fabric for Sora's dance number.

"It can't be her," Ken muttered to himself.

But then, who else was there?

Ken opened the boss' office door, seeing Jerry and Leon already there. Conversation between the police officer and the Frenchman slowed to a stop as Ken walked further into the office.

They were waiting for news…

"Here's a list of the new hires," Ken said, passing out three copies to those inside the office. "But it's pretty lengthy, considering the help we hired for the _Zorro _production."

It was Kalos that noticed something was up.

"You've noticed an abnormality."

Ken sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Well, yes, I guess." He wet his lips, thinking about what was at stake and the damage that was already done.

_It wouldn't hurt to have Jerry check._

"I noticed something strange that afternoon in the backstage hallways…"

SL

From below the rafters of the stage, Leon could hear Mia's voice.

"Rosetta, I need you more to the right! May, more to the middle so you don't crash!"

With Sora unable to perform May was now Esperanza, bumping Rosetta up to the role of Fuego, Zorro's sidekick. It was a huge break for the young Diabolo performer to be directly alongside Leon.

Had it been anyone else, Leon would have been suspicious.

But Leon was aware of how much Rosetta looked up to Sora and they had a sort of understanding, so he couldn't see why Rosetta would want to put either of them at risk.

With a flashlight, Leon inspected the torn silk, lightly running a finger over the ripped edge. The part looked slightly darker than the rest of the silk and judging by the texture, he'd guess it was fabric paint.

_So they purposefully weakened this part of the silk then covered it up with paint._

He'll have Jerry take a look at it for prints, but otherwise, he had all he needed. He turned off the flashlight. Now a trip to wardrobe could let him know where to buy good fabric paint.

His phone alarm sounded off.

_After Sora's appointment_, he amended to himself.

SL

Sora fisted her hand as Kate pressed along her ankle.

"Sorry Sora," Kate murmured as she continued to check, "just want to make sure I didn't miss any fractures."

"No worries," Sora half smiled, though a little forced.

Leon shook his head. Only his wife would feel bad about hurting the feelings of someone whom was causing her pain. Granted, it was for a check-up but still.

Pain was pain.

"As I thought, there are several tears," Kate said as she stopped checking Sora's foot and washed her hands. "The tests didn't reveal any fractures, but damage to tendons is nothing to ignore. Thankfully, nothing ripped around your Achilles' tendon, though it does look like it might be pulled." The good doctor took Sora's hand. "So just don't put any unnecessary weight on it and you should be fine, ok?"

"Alright."

"Good!" Kate smiled. "Now get out of here and get some lunch. Doctor's orders."

"Ok," Sora laughed.

Leon handed her the crutches and then they were out the door. His eyes slid over to his wife, waiting for her to ask what he knew she would.

She merely looked forward as she moved.

She paused by the car to look at him and he knew it was coming. "What makes you think it was sabotage?"

He could understand her apprehension. After all, her dream stage was in trouble and her husband most likely had been the cause of it – though he knew she didn't blame him for what happened. He felt responsible all the same, regardless of whether she saw it that way or not.

He opened her door and gestured for her to enter.

As she slid in the passenger seat, he opened the back door and placed her crutches inside, then he went to the driver's side.

Patiently, she waited for him to close his door.

"My silk was torn," he murmured, "just enough that I wouldn't have noticed when I checked the stage before the performance. Then, it was painted over to cover any visible gaps."

She put a hand on his fist, her soft touch easing the white knuckle clench.

"It might have been Marie."

Sora started at that. "Little Marie? The freshman high schooler with the earbuds in all the time? But why?"

Leon half shrugged. "That's what Jerry's trying to find out. He should be bringing her in for formal questioning."

"Marie," Sora murmured, the corner of her lips down turned in a frown.

He leaned over, placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Let's eat for now."

She brought her hand to her cheek where he had kissed it, still feeling his lingering touch. "You're so good to me," she softly said, entwining her fingers with his. "If people could see you the way I do, they wouldn't want to hurt you."

"Sora…"

She gave his hand a squeeze. "I know there's the past," she murmured, "but your present self doesn't deserve all of this."

"It's still me," he gravely intoned.

She gave him a sad smile, not knowing what else she could say to that. She brought his hand up and kissed his knuckles.

"It's your turn to choose," she said, her smile different now.

He allowed the shift in mood, deciding that there really was nothing else to say.

"Where do I go for you?" he murmured, giving her a faint grin.

Her cheeks tinted. "I'm still not on the menu, mister!"

SL

After lunch, Leon brought Sora to the stage.

She received heartfelt welcomes and several 'Get Well' cards, even a fluffy kitty plushie. The choice in animal made Leon grin, though he was fairly certain that others were not aware of her wildcat nature.

No, that pleasure was all his…

"Aren't you practicing?" she squirmed as he nibbled her neck.

She was watching from the audience seating though she was hardly alone, what with Leon feeling the constant impulse to keep her company when he wasn't needed on the stage.

She bit her lip to keep a mew from escaping.

"Someone keeps delaying the inevitable," he rumbled in her ear.

"W-What are you talking about?"

He smirked against her neck. "I said I wanted you for lunch, but you didn't allow it…" Smoothly, he lifted the armrest dividing them, "You delayed. Now I'm here to collect."

She squeaked as he laid her on her back. "S-Stop! My foot's injured!"

He throatily laughed. "Is that all?"

She raised her hand up in time to stop him from kissing her. Too easily she forgot herself when they kissed. "That, among other things," she embarrassedly bit out, "like us being near our co-workers!"

Leon briefly looked around and then smiled at her. "We're too far up for them to see us clearly."

"I-It's uncomfortable here," she argued when her biggest protest was easily shot down. Surely his attentions to her comfort would make him stop.

His arm went under her shoulders, lifting her from the seat. It was sweet that he was cushioning her, but it didn't help her situation.

"I could get hurt," she tried again. "Twist my other foot or something."

Her eyes widened as he rested his forehead on hers, his breath ghosting her lips.

"I'll be gentle," he soothed in that low voice of his.

It made her shiver in delight, despite her protests. She wasn't too surprised when she found herself leaning forward to brush her lips against his. He deepened the kiss deliciously, making her mewl and grip his hair.

She leaned back as he came over her, the seats in front of them covering their figures.

"_Paging Leon Oswald to the stage…"_

She pushed him to sit up. "You need to go!" When he was starting to walk away with his hair still messy, she grabbed his arm. "Wait, your hair!" She smoothed his hair over when he did nothing to fix it.

He let her do what she wanted, taking some entertainment in her fretting.

She swallowed a little, trying to focus on his hair rather than his black practice outfit. Her fingers followed the edge of his suit's collar, lightly touching his skin. She suddenly wished he didn't look as good as he did in it.

"Another time, perhaps," he amusedly grinned at her once she was done fixing his hair.

When his eyes languidly perused her form, she looked down to see what had his attention.

Her face flushed crimson when she spotted her bra exposed when it shouldn't be. She hastily re-buttoned her shirt as she shot him a half glare. _I didn't even realize he unbuttoned it! _He was getting stealthier and stealthier with each encounter.

"We'll need to discuss boundaries!"

"We're a married couple," he easily replied, as if that was the only explanation needed.

She covered her face as he chuckled.

By the way she didn't retort to that, he took it she knew there wasn't much else to be done about this. After all the drama they've been going through, they needed some time together.

Though, maybe the location had been too much…

SL

When Leon got to the stage, he assumed it was to do a scene.

What he found was Jerry and Kalos off to the side.

"So I've been digging up what I can about Marie," Jerry said in a low voice so others outside of their group couldn't hear, "and it all seems pretty suspicious." He opened the manila folder and read what he had. "According to her id, she's a US citizen, but when I looked into the records of her home city, there was nothing to be found that connected her to it. The authorities over there couldn't find one document about her."

"So it's forged," Leon surmised.

"Looks like it," Jerry sighed, "and a pretty decent one at that."

Leon hmmed as he crossed his arms. "I doubt a young teenager could come up with something like that on her own. She must have a partner."

"But who?" Jerry asked, closing the folder. "The others say she pretty much kept to herself. No one came to visit her during her stay here."

"There has to be something we're missing," Leon pushed, "some hidden form of communication or contact that will give us these answers."

"Speaking of missing," Kalos stated with no expression, "we can't find Marie."

Leon sharply turned to the owner of the stage.

"Anna checked her dorm. It's been empty for some time now."

"Keep looking," Leon murmured and then walked over to the stage.

His scene with Rosetta was up.

SL

While Leon talked with Jerry and Kalos, May found Sora.

"So this is where you two were hiding," May said as she plopped herself on the seat next to the redhead. "Getting all snuggly and stuff, huh?"

"M-May! Where did you – how -?"

May shrugged nonchalantly. "We were looking for him so I saw when Leon stood up. He's hard to overlook, you know."

The statement made Sora wonder, especially with what happened with Ken not too long ago.

"Do you still like him?" Sora asked, "Leon, I mean."

"I know who you mean," May dryly said.

Then, she slanted her eyes towards Sora, thinking of things that Sora didn't know of. Finally, she let out a long sigh and propped her feet on the back of the chair in front of her.

"I'm a big girl," May confidently stated. "These kinds of things don't get to me."

Sora shook her head as she smiled. _Same old May_. It was a relief to know she hadn't misunderstood anything with her.

"Speaking of big girl problems," May said, cutting through Sora's thoughts, "I know you're injured and everything so it really doesn't matter," she paused to consider if she should say it or not and then just went for it, "But your name was on the Circus Festival list."

Sora let in a sharp breath.

"No," she disbelievingly murmured, "I checked."

May rolled her eyes. "You checked under 'Oswald,' right?"

Sora nodded. May tsked.

"It was under your maiden name, 'Naegino.'"

"But why not Oswald?" Sora muttered, "Did they not know I was married?"

"Oh, I'm pretty darn sure the committee knew," May snorted.

News of Leon and Sora's wedding was all over the circus and entertainment mediums for weeks, even internationally.

"Weird," Sora said.

"Resentful," May corrected.

When Sora looked at her for an explanation, May offered none.

She'd leave it to Sora to figure out.

SL

Despite the quick changes, the night's show turned out pretty good.

Though, some adjustments had been made, especially the several stolen kisses Zorro took from Esperanza and then the kiss Esperanza gives to Zorro at the end. It was tricky, but they settled for caresses rather than kisses.

The end kiss, however, stayed.

Leon knew how to fake kiss on the stage. He merely tipped May back enough that when he leaned over, the audience couldn't tell that he wasn't actually kissing May.

Sora had laughed from her seat as Leon pulled May back up.

By the ticking of her brow, she took it that he hadn't warned May about the improvisation.

"Trickster," she murmured under her breath.

Sometimes he could be so arrogant and secretive, but she wouldn't change that about him. He was Leon Oswald, and with that name came the confidence and talent he possesses.

"What comes with a name," she absentmindedly said to herself.

Was that what May meant?

"You are quoting Shakespeare incorrectly," Leon murmured as he drank from his wine glass.

They were back at the apartment; sitting on the couch with a movie playing that neither one was paying much attention to.

"What quote?"

Leon tilted his head as he recalled it. When he got it, he put his glass down on the coffee table and leaned over her.

" 'What's in a name?' " he murmured, his fingers trailing her cheek, " 'That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.' "

"Charmer," she teased, "and a bit of a showoff."

"Just for you," he nipped her cheek, "my sweet, red rose."

She giggled as his nose tickled her neck. "And just how much wine has my Romeo had tonight?"

He smiled against her skin, choosing to kiss up her throat instead of answering. Languidly, her head rested on the back couch cushion, biting her lip as Leon showered her with kisses and nips.

"Not on the couch," she managed to remind him when he started undressing her.

"I remember," he murmured.

He placed a few pillows on the carpet and then smoothly he lifted her up, mindful of her braced foot, and placed her on the pillows. She was tempted to tell him that it was basically like being on the couch if she was on the pillows, but the careful way he was being tonight, coupled with the longing in his eyes, made the words stay in her throat.

She helped him out of his shirt as they kissed. Soon, nothing was between them, leaving themselves bare for the other.

Tonight's love was slow, deep, and gentle.

Just as he promised her that afternoon.

A smooth, sultry saxophone sounded from the tv as they made love, signaling the end credits of the film that they had on. She idly wondered if he had timed it that way, making his move when the romantic music would be on - especially since he had picked the movie out.

Her thoughts on his planning only lasted for a few seconds.

Even after the credits ended, she could hear that melody in her head as they continued on, giving the moment a sense of timelessness.

But even for them, all good things have to come to an end.

Once he had his breath, he relocated them to the bedroom. He held her close as he breathed in her fragrance. Her hands stroked his back, silently admiring how warm he was and how secure she felt at this moment.

"The committee did invite me," she quietly revealed.

He lifted his head from her neck to see her face.

"May said they used my maiden name."

She felt him exhale long. "Doesn't matter." His lips brushed against her cheek all the way up to her ear. "You won't be participating."

"Not this year," she murmured. "But what about the next time? And the one after that?"

"…I do not follow."

"I'm not going because of my injury, so I didn't have to formally refuse." Sora frowned a little as she thought. "But I'm still going to send them a letter."

At that, Leon sat up to get a better look at his wife.

"I'm choosing to say no," Sora firmly stated, "And not only because I don't approve of that kind of stage." She reached a hand out for him and he leaned closer, allowing her to cup his face. "I'm an Oswald now. If they want to address me, they better use my new last name."

He looked at her for a long time in silence.

She was picking a fight but he couldn't seem to find the desire to stop her.

"Have I told you," he murmured, turning his head so he could brush his lips against her palm, "how much I love you?"

Her breath caught in her throat. "I can tell through your actions," she whispered, her thumb brushing his cheek, "but words would be nice too."

"Then let me begin," he murmured into her ear.

Her eyes closed as his voice filled her head, making her heart soar.

SL

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AN: I know some of you would think that Sora wouldn't get upset over the last name, but I figured that it's a pretty big insult to Leon that they address his wife by her maiden name because they don't like him. Like it's beneath them to invite another Oswald to the festival.

Was that clear in here? Maybe it wasn't...

So, thinking in those terms made me think that she might get upset about it.


	70. Chapter 70

SL

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Jerry made a mental list of what he knew about Marie.

She was a young teenager with an eye for stage fabric and color. She wasn't all too chatty, preferring to wave or nod instead of actually speak to anyone. When she did speak, she was nervous.

Friends and family never visited or made any contact.

The only thing people knew was that every morning in the dining hall, she read the newspaper while eating breakfast. It was a little strange for Jerry to hear someone so young reading the paper, but he figured she had nothing else to do.

That is, until he went through her recycle bin.

Her things from the dorms were gone, though he noticed that she left her bathroom and kitchen stuff, plus her trash. From what he could tell she must have been in a hurry for some reason or other, no doubt wanting to leave as soon as possible before they came looking for her.

Because of this rush, Jerry noticed a particularity.

"Well, well," Jerry murmured, seeing a familiar face for one of the columnists of the entertainment section. "This is a lead, if I ever saw one."

SL

Meanwhile, back at the stage, Sora stood in front of the Boss' office.

Before submitting her letter to the committee she wanted to warn Kalos what she was going to do. Being the leading lady gave her regard but also responsibilities to the stage. While she made sure to not be overly mean in her letter, but firm, she fretted about the backlash to come. She didn't want Leon or the stage to be negatively affected by her actions.

_Should I just not do it?_

She gripped her crutches.

_There is no precedent of anyone refusing an invitation. _That's what Leon had told her. Maybe, then, that's why the festival continues the way it does. Since no one complains about it, there's no reason to change what they've been doing. The competition itself wasn't what upset her. It was the attitude of the participants, from the performers to the audience members.

_Their hearts have been hardened for far too long._ She steeled her nerves, determination filling her soul.

She knocked and entered when Kalos called her in.

SL

Leon pulled up in front of the news building from Jerry's message.

Now that the last performances of _Zorro_ were done, he had time to devote to searching for Marie. He had spent the better part of the morning visiting stores with Marie's picture to see where she had bought the fabric paint. Once he found the store, he sent the information to Jerry to see if they could get a record of the payment. If Marie used a credit card, they could perhaps follow that trail.

If it had been paid in cash, then that was a dead end.

_If it was paid in check or credit, we will find out whether or not 'Marie' is actually her name. _What with the fake id, Leon wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't. It would make sense for a fake name to be used with a fake identity.

Leon entered the building.

The young receptionist was on the phone when Leon walked up to his desk. Leon's eyes narrowed on the young man, finding him strangely familiar for some reason or other.

_Who in the world…?_

"Excuse me," Leon started confidently as he pulled out the piece of paper with the columnist's name on it, "I am looking for someone who works here. Is James Tyler in?"

The receptionist had his jaw hung open for a second and then a huge grin appeared.

_Now why does that look familiar?_

And why was his stomach full of dread?

"It's Mister Black Velvet!" the young man exclaimed. "Hey doll," he said into the phone, "I'll call you back for that date, kay?"

As the man hung up, it finally clicked.

"Trevor," Leon neutrally intoned. "I see you've switched to black hair."

"Yeah man, bleached blonde wasn't working," Trevor enthused, "But look at you hot shot! Still rocking the long hair and all!" Trevor leaned forward with a grin, "And got hitched to that hot chick from the Kalos and Sarah wedding reception. How long you been married now? Two months?"

"Four and a half," Leon corrected.

"Put any buns in that oven yet?"

Leon cleared his throat, deciding to end Trevor's not so tactful questions. From experience, he knew he could end up here all day without the man tiring out.

"I am here on business," Leon firmly stated, "I need to speak with James Tyler from your entertainment column."

"Ok bro, give me a sec," Trevor typed something on the computer. "Hm, well according to this," he turned the screen towards Leon, pointing to the time sheet, "He's not in today, or for the rest of this week."

Leon frowned. "For what reason?"

"Umm…" he turned the screen back towards him and clicked around. "Oh! He's sick."

"Sick? For a week?"

"That's what it says."

Leon crossed his arms. "When was this request put in?"

"Let's see…Late Sunday night, but the request was granted Monday morning."

A shadow passed over Leon's face. "I'll need his contact information."

"Ah no can do, dude," Trevor rubbed the back of his neck. "I can't just give out that info to whoever asks. Workers' protection and all that."

Leon slowly uncrossed his arms. They finally were getting somewhere and he wasn't about to let it slip away so easily. Deciding for a forward approach, Leon fisted the front of Trevor's shirt, making the man lean over the desk.

"Hey man! Ease up!"

Leon pinned him with a stern glare. "This James Tyler can lead me to the person who sabotaged the stage I work at this past Sunday, the same night he requested time off," he paused to let that sink in, "and you're telling me to ease up?"

"Look man, even if I wanted to, I can't just –"

"Tyler had a hand in injuring my wife," Leon cut in.

Trevor's eyes widened. "No shit?"

"No shit," Leon dryly repeated before releasing his hold on Trevor.

"I knew there was something off about that guy!" Trevor heatedly ranted as he looked for James Tyler's contact information. "The first time I ever met him and I haven't been here that long! Who goes around hurting women, especially hot ones?" Trevor shook his head. "That ain't right. Guess those rumors were true."

That piqued Leon's interest. "What rumors?"

Trevor's pen paused as he wrote down James Tyler's information. Taking a quick look around and seeing no one else in the front, he leaned forward to Leon.

"A lot of people like Kaleido Stage, but Tyler…" Trevor lowered his voice, making Leon bend his head a little, "That man is _obsessed_. This one time, the editor tried hiring a freelancer to help work one of the Kaleido stories. You know, two heads are better than one and all," Trevor's brows furrowed. "The freelancer ended up in an accident. Can't work with broken fingers. So the story was left to Tyler. There was talk that Tyler might have caused it, especially since he had a long lunch the day of the accident but there's no concrete proof."

"Strange," Leon murmured.

He was getting a bad feeling about this man. With a sense of urgency, he nodded his thanks to Trevor and got into his car. Putting the address into his navigation system, he headed over to James Tyler's place. When Leon realized that he recognized these streets, he looked at the electronic map on the screen.

_It's a couple of blocks away from home…_

Trevor said Tyler was obsessed with the stage, but what if it was a more focused obsession?

He frowned. Hopefully the apartment held some answers.

SL

Sora puffed at her bangs as she continued to wait.

_Leon said to meet him in the lobby when I was done._

Wherever he was, he was taking much longer than he said he would. Her stomach growled and she whined a little, lunch being delayed for far too long.

"I know stomach. I want food too."

If only that husband of hers would check his phone…

"You're still here, love?" Sarah laughed as she came across a pouty faced Sora sitting on a lobby chair.

"Yeah. My chariot's late."

"Hmm, well Kalos plans to close the place early now that we have a break." Sarah tapped her cheek and then smiled when an idea came. "How about I give you a ride home? Then you can give your foot a rest and eat something while you wait for Leon."

Sora perked up. "That would be wonderful!"

SL

Leon didn't know what exactly he would run into when he arrived.

He was fortunate enough that the old credit card trick was able to jimmy the door open and he didn't have to deal with a top chain. The hallways were even empty except for a stray cat or two.

What wasn't fortunate was James Tyler's bedroom.

In the closet behind the dress shirts were numerous photos. There were shots of the performers in costume from various shows which were innocent enough, except Leon couldn't help but notice the one person that featured in all of them.

_Sora_.

He lightly frowned as he spotted some of him and her—some not in costume. Leon's faces were covered over with the pasting of another man's head. _I've seen this man's face before. Ordinary as it is._

Dark hair. Dark eyes. Pale skin despite the sunny weather of Cape Mary.

He could almost picture it as he slowly recalled where he had seen James Tyler. Wary hands reached out to touch Sora's arm, but they retreated when Leon and Jerry came by.

_The reporter from the Zorro after party._

He felt his insides chill. His wife had a stalker.

With a somewhat shaky hand, he pulled out his cell phone from his pants pocket. He had muted it when he entered the news building, so he frowned a little when he noticed several missed calls from his wife. He opened up his voicemail, not surprised that it was from Sora.

_"__I know I don't really complain, but being nearly two hours late is a little much." _

At the mention of the time, Leon looked over at the clock on the nightstand and softly cursed. He hadn't meant to be out so long.

_"…__and all. You'll have to make it up to me and it can't be something small, buster. Anyways, Sarah offered a ride, so I'm back home…"_

Leon's eyes widened. He hung up the voicemail and quickly strode out of the apartment. While she was at the stage, he figured she'd be safe. But at home, with the stalker's place being within walking distance of their place and the stalker missing…

"Jerry," Leon said once the policeman answered the call. "I need you to come to my place as soon as possible."

"Hey man," a guy in the parking lot yelled at Leon from inside his red car. "Is this grey car yours? That's my spot!"

Leon hung up the phone. "I'll be leaving so move your vehicle."

"You shouldn't have parked here to begin with!" the man groused and was about to back up when another car from the narrow entrance came in and blocked him. "Oh for crying out loud!" The man stuck his head back out the window. "Move out of the way! Don't you see my car backing up?!"

"I don't have time for this," Leon bit out. He could get there faster on foot than dealing with these cars.

"Hey!"

Leon heard the yell from behind him as he sprinted off, but he didn't stop. He had bigger things to worry about, like his wife's safety.

He tried Sora's phone as he ran, but she didn't pick up.

_Damn it._

SL

In the middle of fixing some lunch, the doorbell rang.

Sora blinked at door. _Is that Leon?_

As she hobbled over with one crutch, her phone sounded off as well. Recognizing Leon's caller id ringtone, she rolled her eyes. "I'm coming already! Hold your horses buster."

He made her wait earlier. The least he could do was wait a couple of minutes for her to get the door. When she got to the door, she shifted her weight so she could unlock it and open it.

"You need to keep track of your keys –" she started to scold, but then halted.

A man with dark hair and eyes was there, smiling at her. "Oh, I don't lose anything."

Sora quizzically tilted her head. "I'm sorry, I think you have the wrong apartment."

"No," he quietly murmured as he subtly looked around and then smiled when the coast was clear. "I don't think I've got it wrong, Sora."

With that, he pushed on the door.

She stumbled backwards, instinctively putting weight on her right foot to steady her. She let out a pained cry as her injured right foot throbbed from the weight. Her knees buckled and she landed hard on the carpet.

"You need to be careful," the man chided as he stepped inside and locked the door. He put the chain up as a precaution. "You can't heal if you re-injure your foot."

Sora stiffened as the man crouched next to her, twirling a lock of red hair.

"I can't watch you if you don't heal."

She slapped his hand away despite the fear that ran through her. "You need to leave. Right now." She spoke again to cover over the trembling of her lips. "My husband's coming home any minute now and you don't want to be here when he comes."

"D-Don't," the man stuttered out as he fisted his hand. With a breath in, he smiled down at her. "Don't say that," he gently said. "He's the source of your problems, not me."

"Not from where I'm standing."

His smile grew. "But you're not standing."

She swallowed as he reached for her again, but she inched away. "It's a figure of speech," she retorted. "It means 'from my point of view' or something along those lines." She didn't know why she was being so chatty with a man that forced his way inside her home and was still trying to touch her. "Didn't you learn that in school?"

"Sadly, there's a lot of things I don't know about," he murmured, "maybe you can teach me a few of them."

"Like what?" she half whispered. She didn't like the sound of this, but fear kept her talking.

He shrugged. "Small things like riding a bike, going scuba diving," his hand went along her thigh, making her flinch, "the touch of a woman."

When his hand was going for her shorts, she reacted.

She screamed, simultaneously swinging her crutch and smacking it against his head.

SL

After having run two blocks he was stopped by his keys.

His hands couldn't stop shaking as he tried fitting the key for the apartment complex gate. "Damn it _all_," he cursed. Why couldn't he be calm when people were depending on him?

"Hey Mr. Married Man," the female jogger teased as she came up to the gate from the other side. "Need some help there?"

"Yes," he admitted. But he was too worried to be embarrassed.

She opened the gate and Leon dashed passed her.

"A simple thanks would do!" she yelled out.

Leon waved a hand over his head. Hopefully she saw it.

He took several steps at a time as he scaled the staircase. His insides froze when he heard a muffled scream.

Sora.

He ran to their door and steadied his hand as he unlocked the door. He frowned as the door barely opened. _The chain._

"Sora!"

There was some rustling around and thudding of something.

"Leon!" she cried out.

His blood raced even faster. He rammed his shoulder against the door once, twice and then cursed the apartment complex for having locks that actually worked.

In a desperate move, he moved away from the door and threw his weight against the window.

He heard Sora shriek as he broke through the window. He felt the stinging of glass cutting his skin in multiple areas, but he didn't care.

As long as he got to her, he'd do anything.

He grunted as he landed on the carpet and then immediately got up. "Sora?"

"Over here!"

He followed her voice to the living room behind the couch. As he rushed over, he idly wondered why it was so quiet or why Tyler wasn't lashing out. When he could see over the couch, he understood why.

Sora heavily breathed on the floor with a knocked out Tyler some feet away. Leon spotted the crutch nearby. _His face is going to be bruised for quite a while._

"Leon!" she cried out, raising her arms up.

He immediately went over to her, holding her as she sobbed against his neck.

SL

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AN: Whew! Crazy crazy! Sorry for the wait!

I really enjoyed reading your comments from the last chapter! It pleases me to know that their relationship seems plausible and not really forced. Forcing situations and characters to act too out of the norm is what I was trying to avoid. :3

Just a warning, since the holidays are coming up, I don't have too much free time, but I will work on stories whenever possible! :D


	71. Chapter 71

AN: So I'm trying to finish some stories since I have too many up at once. haha! Ideally, I'm going to end Shifting Views first and then work on the other stories. I will hopefully learn my lesson and not put more than two stories up at a time...ok, maybe not more than three, not including one shots. XD

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It was dark and chilly, making Sora shiver in her sleep.

Ever since the incident with James Tyler the last couple of nights left her restless. But after the move from their apartment to the Kaleido dorms she fell fast asleep. For their safety, Sarah extended them an invitation on behalf of Kalos for them to stay in one of the spare dorm rooms. It was only a temporary solution but Sora was touched by the offer.

_Leon must have left the window open._ The days were still pretty warm; he must have forgotten to close it before going to bed. Groggily, she reached a hand over next to her to shake her husband awake.

"Leon," she sleepily started as her hand searched for him.

She frowned when her hand did not find him. In the dark setting of their bedroom, she turned her head to face him, but saw that his side of the bed was empty.

"Leon?"

Her hand ran over the mattress, feeling how cold his side of the bed was. _He's not been here for a while. _She couldn't fathom why he wouldn't be asleep at this hour.

_'__Creeak…'_

She started as the bedroom door slowly swung open.

"Leon, what are you…?" The rest of her question choked her, suffocating her.

Leon was not the one entering her bedroom.

"You," she fearfully murmured, clutching the sheets to her chest. "I thought the police had you."

James Tyler smiled, his white teeth glaring in the dark.

"You thought wrong."

Her heart rate reached critical levels, her breathing was ragged. "No." She shook her head in disbelief, fear strangling her lungs and filling ice in her veins. "No no…"

In a blink, he was at the foot of her bed.

_Too soon too quick! _

She wouldn't be able to escape this time.

"Leon!" her voice pierced the air as she tried to fight Tyler off of her. "Leon, please!"

"Sora!"

The weight of Tyler was much lighter as Leon peeled the blanket off of her thrashing form in order to grip her by the shoulders. She whimpered as she was ripped away from the nightmare, the room alit with the early afternoon light.

"Sora," he repeated in a softer tone of voice, his thumbs rubbing her skin.

She stared at him, wide eyed and breathless from fear.

Then, she started to cry.

"I-I can't," she babbled in a choked voice, her arms wrapped around his torso in a tight hold. "I just can't!"

She had trouble sleeping at night so they thought that maybe when the light was out that she could. He sighed to himself at the futility of their efforts. First, he was the cause of her injury and then he was too late to spare her the memories of Tyler's attack.

What sort of husband was he to be failing so miserably?

He lay down with her, cradling her head. He had planned to leave for the questioning of James Tyler now that the man was being brought from the infirmary to the police station but given his wife's state, he decided that he was needed here more.

He could still feel her form shaking as the fear lingered.

"What can I do?" he whispered into her hair before kissing the top of her head. "Tell me if there's _anything_ and I will do it."

Her head stayed buried against his neck. She stayed still as her breathing calmed somewhat.

"Help me forget," she finally whispered.

He placed a hand along her cheek. Her head lifted up to make eye contact with him. Her quiet plea made him ache inside, he felt like his heart was being carved into.

Her nose nudged his chin. His hand buried in her hair as he lightly gripped it.

He kissed her firmly, full of a desperate desire to connect with her in the only way he could think of. When she did not kiss back he disconnected with her sweet lips to see if she was fine with this physical contact especially after what happened with Tyler.

Her eyes connected with his and then went to his thin lips.

With a tug of his hair he answered her beckoning, merging their lips once more.

His mouth burned hers, his tongue soothed and seduced. She whimpered, though this time it was not out of fear but pleasure. Her hands roamed his bandaged arms and under his shirt. He broke off the kiss for a few seconds as he took delight in her touch and her nails scratching a little harder than usual.

Then, his mouth returned to hers hungrily and she laid on her back willingly.

Only for him she would do so.

SL

In the interrogation room of Cape Mary's finest, Jerry silently assessed the man across from the detective.

Sadly, Jerry was watching from behind the window viewing area since he was not a detective. But he trusted his friend to get the answers he needed.

"Well well," the detective finally said as he looked over Tyler's still bruised face. "It was a little difficult finding anything substantial on you, Mr. James Tyler." The manila folder opened and the detective shook his head, "Or should I call you Mr. Randal James Warren?"

Tyler did not respond to that.

"Your file says that this is not the first stalker charge of yours," the detective went on. "Prima donnas, ballerinas, pop singers," he shook his head at the list, "I could go on."

James was silent.

"Several restraining orders in your early career too." The detective leaned back in his seat. "You are well aware that the Oswalds are pressing charges and the Kaleido Stage is considering stirring trouble with your employer?" He tsked. "I wouldn't want to make so many enemies, if I was you."

Tyler grunted. "You speak as if there are choices."

"Oh normally, there wouldn't be choices," the detective agreed, "but there are more pressing matters that may convince the stage to withhold its lawsuit."

When the detective noticed the sharpening of Tyler's eyes, he withheld a grin.

"In exchange for what?"

"Information," the detective calmly stated. "On this young girl."

Tyler stared at the photograph of a teenager looking at him. "How would I know about her?"

"We already know that you and Marie know each other." The detective stood up and leaned his hands against the back of his chair. "The newspaper clippings of your column in Marie's room, coupled with the frequent phone calls to your office tell us that much."

"She could just be a fan."

The detective straightened up. "Perhaps, except your fan letters are the same type as the threats. Most people use Times New Roman or Courier, but not you. You created your own type style from what I've heard around your office. It's a great hobby of yours."

Tyler's palms were a little sweaty. "What about Marie do you want to know?"

The detective didn't smile in order to keep his professional integrity, but Jerry had no qualms.

"Gotcha," Jerry murmured.

SL

Their bedroom was a languid temperature as they lay together.

Their limbs were entwined and hair mixed on the pillows. His hands stroked her arms, her shoulders, neck, and face. She basked in the soft touch, her fingers ghosting the edge of a bandage on his arm. Most of his cuts were scabbed and in no danger of re-opening, however, there was one in particular that had been cut deep with the glass when he crashed through the window.

She was sure it would scar. _Yet another mark on his body._

Maybe someday, she'd ask about each scar's story and he'll be comfortable enough to tell her. But for now she'll stick with simpler questions.

"We had a pet once," Leon murmured as he answered her latest question. "Sophie had found a baby bird kicked out of its nest outside our apartment."

"What color was it?" she softly asked, her cheek against his lower cheek.

"Brown," he mused, "just an ordinary sparrow." He sighed as his fingers ran along her arm. There were bruises from Tyler. He didn't need to see it to know that they were still there. "But Sophie loved it just the same."

Sora faintly smiled. "It's better than bringing in a stray cat or dog."

Leon grunted. "I take it you had done so?"

"Maybe," she evaded. "Maybe not."

"It was probably a cat."

"…It was a box of kittens."

He slowly blinked at the idea of a little Sora bringing home a boxful of cats in her parents' apartment. "Does your family's apartment allow pets?"

"Nope. Not even little goldfish."

"…"

"That wasn't nice."

"I did not say a thing."

"I know you." She nuzzled his neck. "You were thinking something mean."

He allowed a tiny smirk to appear. "What nonsense."

"So this sparrow," she said with no prompt, "what did you call it?"

" 'Sparrow.' "

"Leon! That's not creative at all!"

He shrugged. "Better than 'it,' I would imagine."

"How did Sophie put up with you?" she mumbled to herself.

He sobered with that statement, his thoughts turning towards the melancholic. "I would not know," he murmured, "I do not even understand how you deal with me."

She was silent with that. Then, she pinched his side, making him flinch.

"That's another stupid question," she chided him with no real heat.

He shifted a little so he could look at her. She nudged his nose before pecking his lips. Then, she settled back down against him.

"How about the chicken pox? Did you catch that?"

"Yes," he dryly answered. "Some child at a circus graciously gave it to me."

She laughed at the idea. He smiled a little upon hearing her sound. He knew that this was only a fragile start in the healing process, but he was grateful for any improvement.

SL

Later that night, Jerry stopped by the dorms.

Leon let him inside and offered something to drink.

"Is Sora around?"

"She's asleep," Leon murmured as he placed a drink on the coffee table. "Did the interrogation get us something to work with?"

"Hm," Jerry started as he swallowed what was in his mouth. "We got a name, seeing as one of Tyler's contacts had supplied her with an alias. I'll have to run it through the system and see if anything pops, but otherwise, I'll get back to you."

"How did she get tangled with Tyler in the first place?"

"She had been looking for someone with a grudge and happened to read an unflattering article about your engagement, namely you not being good enough."

Leon didn't react to that. It wasn't news to him.

"In return for a new identity," Jerry continued, "she took pictures for Tyler and got him into the after party as well."

"And our address, I would suspect."

"Huh?"

Leon sighed to himself. "I kept my address only with the Kaleido Stage. Fans are directed to mail the stage, not me directly in order to prevent any…unfavorable circumstances."

Jerry nodded to himself. Given what he knew of Leon's past, he could see why the man would be so private with his home address.

"But we still don't know her motive," Jerry mused.

"It could have been the same as Tyler's," Leon suggested. "She didn't approve of me being Sora's partner or some nonsense like that."

"Hmm…still leaves a bad taste." Jerry finished off his cup and then stood up. "I'll be heading out then."

Leon stood up as well. "Thank you for coming."

Jerry waved and started to walk to the door. But before he left completely, Leon called out to him.

"What was her name?"

"Laurel Bon-heerr," Jerry sounded out.

"Bonheur," Leon corrected automatically, his eyes a little wide.

"That's the name," Jerry laughed. "I suck at European names. Well, see ya!"

The door closed decisively. Leon sat back down on the couch in a slight daze. "Bonheur," he repeated. That was a surname he could never forget.

He tiredly ran a hand down his face. _Could we not get one moment to breathe?_

SL

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	72. Chapter 72

AN: Here's a snippet of the past! I claim creative license. ;P

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_A circus in France - couple of months after Sophie's death._

_The trapeze swings clinked as a seventeen year old Leon moved. Down below, a sandy blonde and a brunette stood close together, watching him._

_"He's easy on the eyes," the brunette conceded as the blonde flashed her a grin, "but he hasn't really talked to anyone. Kind of makes me think he likes being a loner."_

_"He talks to me," the blonde argued._

_"Sometimes."_

_"It's more than he does with anyone else." Smoothly, the blonde tossed her hair to the side. "I think that's a good sign."_

_"Aliya," the brunette said with some exasperation, "why do you always go for the least liked guys? They only give you trouble."_

_Aliya was quiet for a moment and then she wistfully smiled. "Lone wolves stick together."_

_The brunette pursed her lips. She was the closest thing to a friend but even then they weren't really that close. 'Lone wolves indeed…' She could hardly argue against that point. _

_Then, she turned around, prepared to walk back to practice._

_"You're older than him," she reminded without looking at her._

_"Only slightly," Aliya quipped back._

_The brunette shook her head, recognizing that tone of voice. Aliya's mind was made up. She was neither Aliya's mother nor nanny to be monitoring what she did now._

SL

_Weeks passed. _

_As she promised herself, Aliya started hanging around Leon more and more. He wasn't much of a talker; she almost always had to start the conversation. But the fact that he answered from time to time made her think that her efforts were worth it._

_In the back corner of the pub, Leon finished his drink._

_"I think you can use another," Aliya slurred._

_Leon shook his head. "Not this time." He was starting to get sick of drinking so much. _

_Aliya obnoxiously laughed. "Don't tell me you're done hurting." With glazed eyes, she looked at her drink half empty. "Alcohol has the power to still pain." _

_Parents, relatives, life in general…_

_Nothing could withstand the power of alcohol._

_"Drink up," she murmured, pouring the rest of her glass into his._

_He gave her a slow, bleary blink and then worked on finishing what was left in his glass. Aliya was strange at times, but there were moments when she made him forget what happened at the Circus Festival. He didn't want to remember. There were times when he didn't want to think, such as now. _

_He downed the glass and then placed the mug a little too hard on the table, making Aliya laugh again. Then, she leaned over the small table, her cold fingers chilling his arm as she touched him._

_"Ya wanna get outahere?"_

_Slowly, he rotated his head, taking in the cigarette smoke and the rancor laughter surrounding them. He suddenly felt dirty, like he needed to shower for a really long time._

_He nodded his agreement. She smiled a toothy smile._

_SL_

_Leon did not know how much time had passed._

_All he knew was the pounding ache in his head._

_He softly cursed as his head spun when he tried to sit up. That was the last time he was going to listen to Aliya when it came to drinking. He had his limits and she had her own. As embarrassing as it might sound, she could hold her own better than he can._

_When he finally sat up and the blanket partly uncovered him, he finally noted his state of undress. A little confused, he looked down as the early morning cold chilled his chest. It wasn't until a lump next to him shifted that he realized that someone was there._

_It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened._

_Annoyed, he ran his hand through his hair. He couldn't recall everything, but knew enough to know that it was Aliya without pulling the covers aside. They weren't really dating, but they were hardly friends. When asked before, he simply labeled them as good acquaintances. _

_Now though, things were going to get complicated._

_And he didn't want complicated._

_He wanted simple. He wanted clear lines. But it seemed that the longer he lived, the more clearly he realized that the world did not work that way._

_People did not work that way._

_Aliya understood the melancholy and the angst. She didn't tell him to simply forgive Yuri for hurting his sister. She actually told him to find him and make him pay. And Leon was sorely tempted to do so. He felt like he needed to do it for his own peace of mind. But then he thought of his sister and her beautiful, impossible dreams…_

_He couldn't bear to do it. _

_He didn't know if that made him a coward or not._

_Some days, he felt like Aliya was darker and brooder than he was. There were moments together when he was uneasy being around her, but he couldn't deny that he missed having company, whoever it was. In all his life, he had not been truly alone; his sister had been his best friend and family for all of his years living._

_Not anymore._

_Now, he was alone. Now, he was truly abandoned._

_He had thought he wouldn't mind the silence and the solitude. He assumed he could take whatever life threw at him now, seeing as things couldn't possibly get any worse. His eyes looked over at the lump and shook his head. Her presence here clearly indicated that he couldn't handle the solitude._

_At least, not yet._

_He would have to soon, though, if he were to keep his life simple. 'Weakling,' his mind scathingly told him. Where was his control? What about his discipline?_

_'Gone,' his soul whispered. 'Dried up and buried with Sophie.'_

_"No," he murmured to himself. _

_He would not be a victim of his emotions. Control would be his again at any cost. With that in mind, he shakily stood up and dressed himself. He had someone he needed to visit before fully committing himself to self-restraint._

_Aliya didn't awaken until he shut the front door._

SL

_Leon kneeled on a plot of earth._

_The cold morning was slowly dispersing, allowing him to remove his jacket. He folded it up and placed it on the empty space next to him, taking a moment to fix his collar as he settled himself down for a visit. His fingers felt the scratchy grass while his eyes focused on the newest headstone in front of him. _

_He needed to make this last visit before going on his path._

_Sophie's stone was made from the whitest material he could find and twin unfurling wings had been carved on either side of her name. She may not have gotten the chance to do the Angel's Maneuver, but as far as Leon was concerned, she more than earned her wings._

_'You were the youngest.'_

_She wasn't supposed to go before him._

_"You weren't done," he quietly chided, his finger idly tracing one of the wings. _

_She had dreams to fulfill, sights and experiences to live through. When boxing her things, he found a check list she had made: first kiss, first date, buying a talking parrot, growing her hair down to her feet, trying out frog legs, learning how to cook without burning and/or boiling something over and other such things. She must have made the list shortly before finding out about the Angel's Maneuver for nothing else appeared after it. _

_It had been her ultimate goal, given the number of stars she had drawn around it._

_He couldn't find it in him to burn the list or box it away. He folded it back up and kept it in his wallet for safekeeping. It also doubled as a reminder to himself of his promise to her._

_Though, he never took it out to look at it._

_'I will try Sophie.' He could promise her that much. _

_The crunching of dead leaves alerted him to a presence behind him._

_"I don't think you can put your jacket there," came a female voice. "That spot's probably claimed."_

_He spared the sandy blonde a glance and then turned back to Sophie's headstone._

_"It's my spot."_

_The young woman tilted her head quizzically. "You have got to be the strangest human being I've met." With a crooked grin, she added, "If you're even human, that is."_

_He barely refrained from rolling his eyes. His visit was ending; the last show of weakness was over. It was now time for control._

_ "What do you want?"_

_"Oh not much," she innocently stated. "I just wondered where you wander off to in your so-called 'spare time.' Not that you have that much to begin with, what with training night and day."_

_Silently, Leon stood up and lightly patted his knees of the dust. He picked up his jacket and swung it over his shoulder, no longer needing it in the later morning. Then, he walked a few steps until he was close to Aliya._

_"You shouldn't poke your nose into private business, Bonheur."_

_"You can call me 'Aliya'," the young woman grinned, her cloudy blue eyes laughing, "I think we're on a first name basis by now."_

_He didn't respond to that. He merely chose to walk back to his car._

_"See ya lover!" she teased._

_The wind played with his mid-back silver hair. "That was one time," he neutrally corrected._

_Aliya shook her head at him. She didn't know why he was shying away from the inevitable. _'_He'll come around.' They were similar in many ways, like coming from broken homes and only finding solace on a stage. They could work, regardless of him being a traveling acrobat and she in a permanent circus. She was about a year and a half older than him, but he seemed pretty mature for his age._

_Not to say that she was mature._

_Her grin waned a little upon seeing him get in his car and drive off. He was always a little standoffish, but today seemed more so than usual._

_Maybe she shouldn't have followed him._

_'We can work out our differences eventually,' she mentally told herself. He just needed some more time before she pushed for more._

_Her gut instinct disagreed – it said that he wasn't ready for anything._

_She tucked her hands back in her pockets and eyed the empty plot of land next to the three headstones. She tsked to herself upon recalling what he said about that spot._

_'It's his spot?'_

_She didn't know what disturbed her more: the fact that he was ready for the end or what that plot of land represented in relation to her._

_'Nothing.'_

_Fate's chilling finger ran up her neck, sending unpleasant goosebumps._

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AN: It's a little shorter than previous chapters since it was part of another chapter, but after debating on it, I thought that the memory should be in its own chapter mood-wise. I'm working on the next one, so look out for that. :)

I was trying to not make it too out of character, but I figured it needed to be a little different than the cold Leon that first appears at the Kaleido Stage since this flashback is before his arrival. So it's like a slow descent into instability/stoicism.


	73. Chapter 73

AN: Two uploads within a short amount of time! :D Yay! This one's longer than the last, so enjoy!

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Their morning started out a little differently than normal.

Leon was showering when Sora woke up. She initially was nervous about his absence from their bed, but the running water made her get ahold of herself. _Calm down. _Tyler was in jail awaiting the extent of the charges - the police were close to finding the guy that gave both Marie and Tyler fake ids. Plus, they were in the dorms, not in their old home.

If there are any other stalkers, they won't find them at the old apartment.

She rolled over onto his pillow, intent on getting some more sleep – she was still trying to catch up on the hours she lost. Her face rolled onto a piece of paper. _What the - ?_

She unfolded the note, curious what it said.

_'Drink up.'_

She blinked at the words and then looked over at her bedside table. Her bumblebee mug sat there with a cover over it. She uncovered the mug, the steaming green tea making her smile.

_Charmer…_

He was getting better with knowing how to pull her heartstrings. She giggled as the tea warmed her up.

Then, the doorbell sounded out, making her squeak. _Who's at the door?_

For a split second, fear stilled her as she recalled the last time someone had been at her door. The bell rang out again, followed by a knock. She took a long breath in to shake the fear off; then she grabbed her crutches.

She will not let fear rule her life.

When she got to the door she took a peek out at the hole, having learned her lesson. Her eyes widened as familiar orange hair met her eyes.

_Ken?!_

"Just a second Ken!" She started shifting herself to answer the door, but when she saw that she was only wearing a sleep shirt she decided against it. "Erm, just ah, let me get dressed!"

"Ah, ok…" came Ken's muffled voice.

Hastily, she made her way to the bathroom door. "Leon," she hissed once the water turned off, "Ken's at the door! Come out so you can answer it and I'll get dressed!"

With a start she blinked at the open door, her eyes widening when only a towel was wrapped around her husband's waist. Her cheeks tinted as some water from his wet hair dripped down his chest, traveling over muscles in a slow, teasing way.

She suddenly forgot why she had initially wanted his attention.

As she looked, he took his fair share of looking. When he spotted his grey shirt on her he roguishly grinned, his eyes appreciatively roaming her shapely legs. Grey eyes lidded further when he took in her blush and the slight heat in her eyes.

Her breath sharply left her as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I need my shirt," he rumbled out.

"W-What?"

His grin turned into a devious smirk. Her crutches landed on the floor with a clatter as he pulled her inside, the bathroom door closing decidedly.

"Leon," she half protested as his hands went to her shirt's hem, "Now's not the time - "

His mouth covered over hers, muffling her words - not that she was going to further protest her current situation. He smirked when her arms went around his neck, freeing his hands. He saw the way she had been looking at him; he highly doubted she'd scold him about this later.

Her lashes fluttered as she lightly moaned, his hands caressing and teasing her skin.

He really liked how this morning was progressing.

SL

Ken lightly tapped his foot on the floor as he waited.

It has been a while since Sora first came to the door. He hadn't thought she was one to take a long time to change. He inwardly shrugged to himself. _I guess there are still things I don't know about her._

The door opened suddenly and he straightened up.

"Come in," Leon murmured, his grey shirt slightly damp on the front.

Ken was barely able to keep from swallowing hard from nervousness. He hadn't expected Leon to answer the door. "Ah, thanks."

He wiped his shoes on the doormat before stepping inside. The dorm set up was the same as Sora's last dorm room, though there were additions to the scene that had not been there before. An unfamiliar knitted blanket, a small bookcase filled with novels, male shoes by the door, and an antique clock on the coffee table once he came over to the sitting area.

_Leon's things, _he surmised.

It wasn't anything shocking, but it was a new sight for him.

Leon gestured to the couch and Ken snapped out of his thoughts, taking a seat on the other side of the coffee table. Leon crossed a leg as he sat back against the couch, looking quite relaxed. Ken blinked at the pose, having thought it strange. He couldn't recall a time when they were alone in a room without Leon looking tense or stiff especially with the whole wedding issue and him confessing his feelings to Sora.

_A good night's rest maybe?_

Ken wasn't about to question his good luck.

"So…how are you two settling in?"

"Fine," Leon half shrugged, "given the situation."

"Good," Ken nodded, "that's, um, really good."

Silence.

"…Is Sora coming out?"

The corner of Leon's mouth twitched but he smothered the grin. "Yes. The crutches slow her down a bit." _As well as having lost a shirt and undergarments._

But Leon knew better than to say that last part out loud.

"So ah, Kalos wanted you to know that your time off is approved, for starters," Ken said as his foot wiggled. "And Jerry sent that info his police friends have surrounding the case."

At the mention of the Tyler case, Leon sat up. His once easy form tensed. "Thank you." He took the envelope with a solemn air.

"As for the other reason why I'm here –" Ken paused as he heard the bedroom door open and the rhythmic thuds of Sora's crutches.

"Sorry I'm late!"

Ken blinked at her loose sweater and skirt. He couldn't see how that would take a while to put on…

"No problem, you're just in time."

Sora smiled and then made to sit over with Leon. When their eyes connected, a lazy half grin appeared on his face. She moistened her mouth as it dried; she hadn't forgotten their interlude this morning.

"Ah-em," she awkwardly cleared her throat, choosing instead to stay standing. "So what brings you here, Ken?"

"You sure you don't want to sit down?"

"Ah no, I'm fine. I sit down all day."

"Well, ok," he said with an unsure frown, "In any case, I'm here because a letter was sent to the stage from the Circus Festival addressed to both of you."

Sora straightened. Leon leaned over and grabbed it.

They both knew that it was a response to her refusal to participate.

"Thanks Ken," Sora murmured.

Ken rubbed the back of his neck, "I figured it would be easier to just come over instead of having you hobble your way to Kalos' office. Living here makes it nice and convenient."

"Yeah, for a short while," Sora absentmindedly said as she watched Leon open the letter.

"Short? Are you two moving already?"

"Mm," she nodded, drawing her attention back to their guest, "we have a few places picked out. We just need to check them out in person." She looked at the clock and then smiled. "Actually, we need to get going soon."

"Oh. Right." Ken swiftly stood up. "Best of luck to you two, then."

"Thanks!"

"You don't need to show me out," Ken half smiled when Sora made to move.

"Ok! Do you need anything before going?"

He was about to refuse, but then his bladder protested. "Actually, can I use your restroom?"

"Sure thing. It's down the hall, the door on the right."

When the bathroom door closed, Sora leaned over the armrest to see the letter. She wrinkled her nose when she noted that it was written in French.

"Is it bad?"

"Hm," Leon refolded the letter, "not as bad as I had expected. A few lines declare their displeasure upon receiving your letter and your reasons." He pulled her over the armrest and onto the cushion next to him, causing her to squeak a little. "They even said that only one was needed to present this year's trophy."

"Only one? So is that their way of subtly kicking you out of the program?"

"You're learning."

She frowned a little. "That's kind of mean. You won fair and square with May."

He lightly nipped her nose. "Thank you for caring, but it matters not." He buried his face against her neck, lightly biting her skin. "Completing the Angel's Maneuver meant so much more."

Her breath came out a little hard when his hand slid under her sweater. "Ken's still here."

"Yes," he said in slight disappointment, "but not for long." His hand continued up and up. He quirked a brow when he only touched skin. "No bra?" He let out a big smirk, "how thoughtful."

Her face flushed. "No thanks to you!" she groused. "It would have taken me longer to dress had I stopped to –" she halted abruptly as she realized a very big mistake.

_Bathroom. Ken. _

"_Shimatta_" she said under her breath.

"What's wrong?"

She was beat red, but she still managed a glare. "You threw it too high on the shower rod so I forgot about it when I left!"

"What is this 'it'?"

"My bra!" she bit out.

Leon gave a slow blink and then chuckled.

She was about to scold him for laughing when the toilet flushed and running water from the sink sounded. Then, the bathroom door opened. Sora automatically looked at Ken to see if his face portrayed anything. Ken made half a second eye contact with Sora and then immediately looked away, his face extremely red.

_He saw it! _she bemoaned.

"T-Thanks!" Ken squeaked out and then high tailed it out of the dorm.

She groaned against Leon's chest. "How embarrassing!"

"At least he knows you have fine tastes," he chuckled.

She made to smack his arm but he caught her hand. She half glowered in indignation, her eyes burning with the situation. Too bad the fire in her eyes only made him want her even more.

"We're looking at places," she reminded him when he started nipping her fingers.

He sucked the sensitive underside of her wrist, making her mewl. "A pity," he teased and then released her hands. He got up from the couch and headed towards the kitchen.

"I want eggs!" she called out to him as she hobbled to the bathroom. "And something sweet!"

He pulled out the eggs from the fridge. "Is this a precursor to your food cravings?"

He did not hear her say anything. Leon silently berated himself. He had not considered whether the issue of pregnancy was safe to discuss now, seeing how much it affected her.

"I'll probably want pocky and sushi," she finally answered, "and make you get pickles and green tea ice cream in the middle of the night!"

He relaxed his shoulders. "I'll give you chocolate covered escargot."

"Don't even try it!"

He laughed at the mortification in her voice.

SL

Sora stood balanced with her crutches as she surveyed the living room of the apartment. The walls were an off white color and the ceiling was looking a little crackly from age.

"The carpet's kind of dirty," she mused out loud, "but we can replace it."

"Hm," Leon came up behind her, his lips tickling her ear, "it will need to be soft."

She flushed a little before lightly hitting his leg with a crutch. He grinned as she understood his hidden suggestion.

"In all seriousness," he murmured after taking a nip of her ear, "this place is not an option."

The 'security gate' around the complex was a joke and the kitchen was in need of serious repair. The bathroom was too small and so was the bedroom. Although he knew they really didn't need that much room, he didn't plan on living in a cage.

"We can do better."

Sora sighed and pulled out a piece of paper. "We're running out of options."

Leon took a look at the rental places listed on the paper. "Apartment options," he murmured as he thought. A house was too soon to get and a studio too small for the both of them but there were other options.

"Leon?"

He pulled out his phone. "We don't need to only look at apartments."

As he google searched for rentals within twenty miles of the stage, he smiled at the choices.

"Would you like a condo?"

SL

Back at the dorm Sora toweled off her hair on the bed.

"We'll just need to sign some papers on Wednesday," Leon said as he got off the phone with the realtor. "Then wait for the condo owners to fully move out."

She felt his hand along her arm and smiled. "Sounds good."

He kissed the top of her damp head, his fingers teasing her arm. She squirmed at the ticklish feeling, lightly laughing at his playfulness. She tossed the towel aside in favor of getting him back. He grunted as her fingers tickled his ribs.

"Careful what you start," he murmured.

Her smile grew. "Right back at you, buster."

He grinned and then swiftly came over her, making her lay on the bed. She squealed as his relentless hands got under her arms. In retaliation, she ran her left big toe along the pad of one of his bare feet.

He squirmed, making her grin triumphantly.

"Found another spot," she crowed.

He gently pinned her hands above her head as he laid most of his body down on her, pinning the rest of her.

"What are you –" she cut herself off as he shook his head, making some silver hair fall against her face. Her nose twitched before she could control the action.

It was his turn to grin.

Then, he moved his head back and forth, the strands of his hair tickling her face, her neck and shoulders. The feathery sensation was too much he noted as she shrieked and laughed so hard, water was collecting in the corners of her eyes.

"A-Alright! Uncle! Uncle!"

"That's not the word."

Her head tilted back as she attempted to catch her breath. "W-What word?!"

His nose trailed up the column of her throat. "Don't feign ignorance."

Her chest heaved, though not entirely because of the tickling. Slowly, her cheeks flushed as she realized what he wanted to hear. _I knew I shouldn't have told him._ She had first said it under the thrill of emotion and the next time he heard it, he had asked what it meant. She had told him after some persuasion.

She said the word, the pink on her face turning red.

"Say it louder," he murmured, his lips along her pulse.

"_Anata,_" she said a few notches above a whisper.

His eyes closed, basking in the term. As far as he was aware, the Japanese language was sparse with words of endearments between couples. It was an intriguing find for him, especially since he could think of several in his own tongue.

It meant so much knowing that she used it on him.

His tickling stopped; his hands released hers as he raised himself on his forearms so his weight would not be so heavy. He stayed over her, placing kisses along her face. When he kissed her on the lips, her shyness over the term of endearment was not so strong.

"_Anata,_" she said on her own, her fingers tangling in his hair.

His kiss deepened and she parted her lips, letting his tongue tease hers.

He pulled away too soon for either of them but he needed to discuss a few things with her before anything else could happen.

"Sora," he said, his fingers grazing her cheek, "We need to discuss travel plans."

"Travel?" She owlishly blinked up at him. "But the group's not planned to go until two weeks before the festival."

Although Sora wasn't competing, Rosetta wanted to. May told the rising star they could team up if she passed her training. The final list was not yet due. May's Demon tickets – like the Phoenix tickets – could give them entrance up until the official list was posted. There was still another week and a half before the official list came out.

In the event that Rosetta passed, the stage was going to go to show support. Sora was fine with it; in her letter she said she expressed her own feelings and that of her husband. A team's presence may lessen any anger the committee harbors against Kaleido Stage.

"I'm going earlier."

She lightly frowned. He sighed and nudged her cheek.

"Marie – Laurel Bonheur…she's connected to my past somehow. I need to find out how."

"I'm coming with you."

"Sora," he murmured, "you're still healing."

"So? I can get around."

"I highly doubt dragging you across Europe can be good for you."

"Then I'll get surgery."

Leon's eyes widened a little. Dr. Kate had said that surgery on her foot could quicken the process in the long run, but if they didn't have to it may simply damage her tendons' flexibility. For acrobats, flexibility was key.

"You're thinking rashly."

Her lips thinned. "I'm thinking about you. How is that rash?"

He sat up suddenly and she instantly missed the warmth of his body.

"Then don't think of me."

She sighed as she looked at the ceiling. "I don't know where you get half the stuff you say." She lifted her head a little to catch his eye. "You're asking for the impossible."

She sat herself up and rested her cheek on his bicep. "I told you, I promised your family I'd protect you."

He softly scoffed. "You don't trust me in Europe."

She pinched his forearm. "I don't trust the _past _with my husband," she murmured, her fingers tracing a long scar along his chest, "It doesn't play fair."

"…During my more strenuous searches, you'll stay in the hotel," he firmly stated.

She smiled. "And I'll be there to chase the shadows."

"Yes," he quietly said, his fingers touching her jaw.

Her hand laid over his heart. "I can do that," she whispered.

"Good," he said, and then he tilted her chin up.

Her eyes half closed as lips met once more, this time his parting for her tongue to brush against his. He laid down with her over him, her soft chest pressing against him and her mouth leading the kiss. She shifted a little, her knee brushing a sensitive area. He half groaned at the accidental move. He waited for her to apologize or stammer at the situation, but neither occurred.

Instead of her knee moving away, she did it again.

He groaned louder, his eyes immediately finding hers. Her cheeks were flushed, but the flickering desire in her eyes let him know that she knew what she was doing.

"I'm corrupting you," he murmured.

She gave him a half shrug, a little smile on her face. Then, she bit her lower lip in a sudden flare of insecurity. "So, does this mean you -"

"Yes," he immediately answered. How she could doubt herself was beyond him.

She ducked her head a little at the acknowledgment. When she looked back at him, there was a playful tilt to her lips.

"So where were we?"

"You're seducing me," he easily responded.

"Oh right," she said, her head nodding in understanding.

She shifted again, her knees on either side of him now and her hands on the mattress, lifting her slightly up. Then, slowly, she rolled her body, her soft chest rolling against him first, next her stomach, and then finally her hips.

He let out a long exhale, especially when her hips rolled against his lower half.

"Again," he huskily requested.

This time when she rolled, his hands pressed against her, adding more pressure as she moved. Beneath his hands, he felt her back arch in a very feline manner. He nearly chuckled at the notion given his personal pet name he gave her, but he refrained.

There were other things on his mind: anatomy, for one, and chemistry for second - though chemistry was quickly vying for first place. Music sounded good - pitch, tone, volume...Art too, given the amount of red was blooming along her cheeks.

These sorts of topics could occupy someone for a long time.

Or would plural "someones" be more accurate?

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AN: A little drama, comedy, and romance to occupy those taking finals. Or just busy-ness in general. ;P


	74. Chapter 74

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_Outside, Leon could faintly hear the hustle and bustle of France._

_He wasn't fooled by his country's reputation of glamour and the arts. Underneath it all there was a history of blood, tyranny, rebellion, betrayal… _

_There was unending pain, simply put._

_As he looked at Aliya's tearstained face and fisted hands, he felt like he was born with the ugly side of humanity in him. Strangely enough, he didn't feel anything with that realization._

_What he could feel was the stinging of his cheek from when she slapped him._

_"What do you mean 'no?'" Aliya spat out._

_ "No," he slowly drawled, "what you're saying is false." _

_With a too calm air, he sat down on the couch of his apartment, not bothering to offer Aliya a seat. He had a feeling she wasn't going to be staying long – most likely because he already decided that he didn't want her in his apartment for any longer than necessary. The longer she stayed, the more likely things were going to get messy._

_He no longer had time for messy._

_"What real proof do you have?" He folded his hands over his knee in a business-like manner. "We've not seen each other in months and yet you come to my doorstep unannounced, laying blame on me for your current state."_

_Aliya put a subconscious hand on her swollen stomach. She didn't show quite that much just yet, but knowing how slender she used to be, the difference was very noticeable to him._

_"So that's that? You're not even going to offer an ounce of help?"_

_With unsympathetic eyes, he murmured, "You're hardly the model of a good Samaritan."_

_She looked at him with her jaw a little slacked. Then, she leaned over and slapped him again. "You've changed." The disgust soured her tone and the downturned mouth showed her disappointment._

_Leon didn't even blink. "Still lashing out at others I see. You're the same as ever."_

_He stood up in order to show her the door. _

_"Congratulations," she snidely bit out, "you've won the title of 'Jackass of the Year.' "_

_Then she wretched the door from his hand and slammed it hard in his face._

SL

"Leon," he heard Sora's voice murmur near him. "We'll be landing soon. Buckle up."

He stirred slowly, lifting his head from his wife's shoulder. He didn't even realize he had fallen asleep on the plane, the memory of the past still in his mind.

The memories were coming more frequently ever since he found out Marie's last name. Or Laurel, he supposed. Bonheur had been Aliya's last name, but for the life of him, he couldn't recall her mentioning a younger sibling.

He blankly looked down at the magazine in Sora's hands. He entertained the thought that Laurel was the child Aliya had been pregnant with but the age didn't match. The child would have to be about seven years old by now, not a teenager.

The pilot's voice sounded out in the airplane.

"You snored a little," Sora murmured as he buckled up.

He softly scoffed. "I do not snore."

"Sure you do," she said with a smile, "When you're really tired, which has been pretty frequently lately."

"My supposed snoring is as plausible as you reading that magazine in French," he dryly countered back.

"I'm not reading. I'm looking." Flip. "There's some nice underground caverns around France. We should check them out sometime."

He leaned back over to look. He shook his head as he read a snippet.

"That," he rumbled in her ear, "is a catacomb, my dear wife."

She tilted the magazine a little as she looked at a specific spot. "I guess that is a skull then…"

He chuckled as she quickly turned the page.

"This garden is nice."

"It's a cemetery."

"Ok," she closed the magazine, giving her husband a stern look, "now you're making it up."

He held her gaze with a straight face for a good five seconds before she saw the corner of his mouth twitch upwards.

"I knew it!"

He laughed quietly as she crossed her arms. "You're easy to rile up," he teased and then gave the corner of her pouty lips a nip.

"Such a sweet talker," she flatly muttered.

"I'll show you some nice places," he murmured as he slipped the magazine back in the seat pocket in front of them, "and they won't have dead people in them."

"Really?"

"Yes," he said, picking up her left hand with the ring, "but I'm afraid it won't be during this trip."

Her pout came back. "I'm sure there's time to see at least one nice place."

His thumb rubbed the back of her hand. "France is still filled with bad memories," he murmured. He sighed and then looked back at her face. "I want to create good ones with you, but once I bury the bad ones."

Her pout eased. Back when they were first dating she had been the one to tell him that he needed to let the past rest so that he could rest. Redemption was not an easy path; nor was keeping the peace after gaining that first moment of serenity.

It was a new way of life - a revival of sorts. It was bound to take time.

"Ok," she said.

He kissed the back of her hand.

It was her turn to rest her head on his shoulder. "And when we return to Cape Mary, our new home will be waiting."

_Home_. It had a nice ring to it.

SL

Sora quickly found out that carrying luggage on crutches was a definite no-no.

When they had been taking their stuff to the car in Cape Mary, she nearly face planted on the floor if it hadn't been for Leon's skepticism that made him watch her try first before walking away with his luggage.

Plan B involved purchasing a large suitcase and combining the two small ones.

She hadn't shared a suitcase before, especially with someone of the opposite gender. Packing her underthings next to his made her blush a little, despite the fact that they have seen each other in them on several occasions – even without said clothing articles.

As she hefted her backpack on and Leon got her crutches, she stepped out of the cab and waited on the sidewalk for Leon to pay the cabbie. She eyed the large dark green suitcase next to her. Their things were probably mixed around now.

She felt her face flush.

_Get ahold of yourself! _She lightly slapped her cheeks. _You've been married for months now! _So what if her bra was touching his boxers or her panties were with his dress shirts?

Unsurprisingly, the thought did nothing to alleviate the flush.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine!" she squeaked a little too loudly, "Just a little cold, is all!"

He stared for a few seconds longer than necessary and then grabbed the handle of the suitcase. By now, he was aware that she did and thought things that were pretty unorthodox.

"We can order something hot to drink," he said as headed for the hotel entrance.

She followed at a slower pace, especially when they got inside. The place wasn't quite as ritzy as the one she stayed in during her first Circus Festival, but the mosaic pillars and chandelier were pretty enough to made her pause and admire them. She faintly heard the trickling of water and she turned her head, seeing a little makeshift pond in the sitting area.

"Leon," she said excitedly. But when he didn't turn around, she raised her voice a little to get his attention. "Hey Leon!"

Her voice echoed a little, making conversations around cease. She ducked her head in embarrassment when the hum of chatter was put on hold and several eyes were on them.

She bit her lip and hobbled closer to Leon who had stopped upon hearing his name.

"Leon," she said in a rushed whisper, "how do you say 'sorry' in French?"

She frowned when his attention was taken off of her. She could hear a quiet murmuring around now; whatever was being said was making Leon's face rigid.

"Leon? What's wrong?"

'_The God of Death is here…'_

_'…Festival isn't until later, isn't it? I thought we'd be safe…'_

"Let's go," he tonelessly said.

With that, he turned forward once more and walked to the front desk. Sora blinked at the cool tone of voice, but thought that it would be better to ask in closed quarters. It was obviously something, for she heard the hum of chatter return once they entered the elevator.

"People still remember," Leon quietly said as they waited for their floor.

"I remember," she softly replied, "and I still married you."

He gave her a glance and then grunted.

"Something must be ailing you."

She pursed her lips.

The corner of his mouth went up in a faint grin. "Whatever it is," he said just as the elevator dinged for their floor, "don't get cured."

She pouted as he walked out of the elevator with a big grin on. "Get back here buster!"

SL

_It had been an ordinary morning in his temporary living quarters._

_He got up, did some exercises, and then ate to fuel himself for training on the trapeze. This new circus wasn't all that great, much to his disappointment. The supposed rising star was only showing mediocre talent at best. But he was patient and will wait a little while longer._

_Maybe he needed to raise the stakes…_

_A knocking sounded on the door. He wiped his hands on the napkin and then stood up from the table. He opened the door and quirked a brow when a young man in a semi-decent suit was revealed._

_"Monsieur Leon Oswald?"_

_Leon gave a nod. The young man cleared his throat._

_"This is for you from my firm. Please do note the date and time for tardiness will only count against you."_

_When Leon took the envelope, the man left._

_Curious about the situation, he closed his door and broke the seal on the envelope. As he read through the wordy page, his brows went down in a deep frown. When he got to the end, he crumpled the paper and tossed it to the side. He picked up the phone and stiffly dialed Aliya's last known number._

_She was suing him for child support._

SL

Sora had been in a light sleep when a firm knocking at the door sound.

She abruptly flinched, her eyes briefly wide open and then they closed when the sound stopped. She nuzzled her face against his chest and his fingers came up to her hair. The couch was a little small for his legs so they hung off to the side. Jetlag hit both of them hard; they didn't even make it to the bedroom before they started to feel the effects.

The knocking soon came back.

"What time is it?" Leon asked.

"Don't know," she sleepily muttered, her fingers lightly gripping his shirt, "just go make it stop."

Leon sighed as he lifted his hand with the wrist watch. He altered the time when they got on the plane so he wouldn't have to worry about it later.

It read 8:13am.

"We slept all afternoon and night," he murmured.

Sora made some sound and then snuggled even closer. "Still tired."

He rubbed his face. _Was housekeeping at the door?_

No, he distinctly recalled putting the 'do not disturb' sign up.

"Leon Oswald!" came a muffled female voice from behind the door. "_I know you're in there!_"

He abruptly sat up at that. Sora let out a startled sound at the sudden movement.

"Leon?"

"Sit up," he murmured as he straightened his clothes, "we're about to have company."

SL

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AN: Who is at the door I wonder? ;P I thought I'd add in some light fluff. Always sounds good. :D


	75. Chapter 75

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_It wasn't even 9:00am when Leon had a reporter at his door._

_"Monsieur Oswald," the woman smiled with a voice recorder, "can I get a statement from you about the lawsuit from your ex-partner?"_

_Leon simply closed the door. He had his first meeting with Aliya and her lawyer already as a sort of introductory to being sued. He told them he would not say anything else without his own council, thus prolonging the situation. _

_As the woman at his door continued knocking, it became clear that more drastic measures would need to happen. He had heard about paying off the press with the scandals of other rising stars. _

_He just hadn't thought it would happen to him._

_If he wanted to find the right partner, he couldn't have this mess hanging around him. People might get the wrong idea about him or circuses will be wary of him around their female acrobats. Already, people knew him to be stoic; the false title of 'womanizer' would lessen the opportunities even more. _

_'What a nuisance.' _

SL

Leon had quickly switched dress shirts before answering the door.

It had been a while since he had seen the female reporter that printed the side of Aliya's story surrounding the lawsuit. He looked over her as she sat across from him in the sitting area. The woman's skin was starting to wrinkle and some grey hairs showed through the inky black, but her dark eyes were as sharp as ever.

They didn't call her 'Madam Boucher' for nothing.

"_Well well, Monsieur Oswald," _Madam Boucher said in French, "_it appears married life has been kind to you so far."_

Leon softly scoffed. "_I thought we agreed to meet at the café at noon."_

She smiled. "_Now Monsieur Oswald, I'm a very busy woman with a very busy schedule." _She took out her compact and powdered her nose a little. "_You cannot expect me to keep to your schedule when it's inconvenient for me. Besides,"_ she snapped the compact and looked over at Sora sitting next to him, "_I wouldn't meet your wife that way."_

Sora shifted a little when the older woman's eyes went to her. _Of course they'd speak in French. _She was starting to see that learning the language had more pros than cons the longer she was with Leon.

"Hello, Madam Oswald," the woman said with a heavy accent.

Sora blinked at the proffered hand and then took it with a tentative smile.

"Hello."

"Hm." Madam Boucher tutted as she tilted her head side to side. "_She's not a great beauty, but I suppose she'll do."_

Leon's eyes narrowed. Madam Boucher ignored it, choosing to smile at Sora with too many teeth showing.

"Would you be a dear and fetch me some coffee, Madam Oswald?"

"Ah, of course. We should have offered early," Sora said with an embarrassed laugh. She picked up her crutches from the side of the couch. "Leon, do you want some too?"

"Please," he said with a nod.

Both watched as Sora made her way to the other side of the room where the coffeemaker sat. Madam Boucher looked at the brace on Sora's foot and then turned towards Leon.

"_Your work, I presume?"_

He chose not to say anything; however, she was good at reading through even the most blank of faces. She gave a hardy laugh as she pulled out a cigarette and lighter from her purse.

"_Remorse from the God of Death? You have changed."_

"_Let's get to the point," _Leon bit out. "_Do you have what I'm looking for?"_

She blew out a puff of smoke. _"I don't do charity work, Monsieur Oswald."_

Leon sighed and stood up. He went to the bedroom where the luggage was to retrieve the money they had agreed on. As the water boiled for the coffee, Sora took a glance over at Leon's disappearing form and then looked at the woman. She was aware that Leon asked for coffee in order to keep her away from the older woman. It made her very curious who this was for him to be uncomfortable with her meeting the woman.

Suddenly, the older woman turned towards Sora.

She refrained from squeaking. _What eyes that woman has!_

"I must congratulate you in reeling him in," Madam Boucher chuckled. "Many of us did not think we'd see the day when Leon Oswald would get married."

"Ah, thank you," Sora said, though the ending of the phrase sounded more like a question. She wasn't sure she liked how the lady phrased their marriage.

"Tell me this, I'm dying to know," the woman promptly said without ceremony, "how is the child?"

"Oh, I'm not pregnant."

The woman's smile grew, the corners of her mouth looking sharp. "That's not what I meant, dear."

Sora tilted her head in confusion. _What child?_ If she and Leon didn't have a child, then she didn't know what the woman was referring to.

Unless…

Her eyes widened at the possible answer and her stomach clenched uncomfortably. _Is she suggesting what I think she is?_

"Here," Leon said as he re-entered, handing the reporter the envelope with money. His eyes narrowed as Madam Boucher flashed him a wicked smirk. He looked over at Sora and he frowned even more as she clutched the counter with a pale face.

"_What did you do?"_ he accused.

"I did nothing, dear," Madam Boucher stood up and handed him the folder of information from her large purse, "It's what you did."

He stiffened as she passed him.

"Have a marvelous day, Monsieur and Madam Oswald!"

The door clicked loudly even though she had closed it softly.

Sora tried to swallow the lump in her throat as she stared at Leon. She wet her lips, finding them far too dry for some reason. She parted her lips to ask him if it was true or not, but she couldn't find the courage to do so.

She was afraid to know.

"I think I need to lie down," she whispered.

Leon stayed standing as she moved to the bedroom. He finally moved when the coffee machine beeped, signaling that it was ready. He turned it off and then went to the couch to grab his coat.

He needed to walk around for a bit.

SL

_Their room at the courthouse seemed very small for Leon._

_Across the long table sat Aliya with a much bigger belly. He wasn't certain how far along she was now, but he wouldn't be surprised if her water broke during this meeting. _

_"My client says that the timeline is incorrect," Leon's lawyer stated._

_Aliya's lawyer scoffed. "Well of course he says that. He's a rising star and he thinks he's above common human decency. He's avoiding the results of his own actions, as is evident by the way he silenced the press."_

_"Monsieur Oswald merely wanted to prevent libel from being printed and untrue rumors spreading around until we get to the bottom of this."_

_Aliya's brow twitched. Day in and day out, it was the same thing hashed out over and over again. She wasn't sure if her lawyer was actually making progress or just milking her for his services. _

_"Look, if he simply takes the paternity test, we can end this much sooner," Aliya bit out. _

_"Aliya, let me handle –"_

_She stood up in a rage, "You haven't been getting me anywhere so shut it!" She turned her eyes directly at Leon even though she was addressing his lawyer. "What is your client so afraid of? If he's so sure he's not the father, then he has nothing to worry about!" She leaned over the table a little, her pregnant belly preventing her from bending too much. "Take the test or else pay for child support. It's as simple as that."_

_"My client's not herself," her lawyer quickly cut in. "We can reconvene in ten minutes or another –"_

_"Fine," came Leon's quiet response._

_"Uh, fine to what?"_

_Leon stood up and looked at Aliya. "I'll take the paternity test."_

SL

Outside on a park bench, Leon looked through the folder Madam Boucher gave him.

_Bonheur, Aliya._

_Single child. Parents died in car crash. Later adopted by friends of the family, which changed her last name from Caron to Bonheur. _

She never did tell him her family life. He shifted through the papers documenting her schooling and then the newspaper clippings of a runaway ad with her face on it. He wondered what made her run, but then pushed the musings aside. It could have been any number of things; after all, he had been tempted to run away several times when he lived with his family.

He shook his head at the similarities. Him, his wife, and Aliya – all of them were orphans.

How strange that their lives intertwined with each other.

He paused on a photograph of a little girl. Her hair was dark and her eyes were a light color. He looked at the back to see if there was anything written on it and his brows furrowed.

_Bonheur, Marie._

It didn't make any sense. The first name was Laurel Bonheur's alias at Kaleido Stage, but the child didn't look anything like Laurel. The teen had brown eyes, for starters. The little girl in the photo here had very pale blue eyes or grey –

His eyes widened. The picture slipped from his fingers.

_Laurel used the child's name._

SL

Sora was dreaming, she knew.

After all, she was sure Leon wouldn't let her adopt twelve cats and several little sparrows. That was a recipe for disaster even in her book.

But as the older woman with the too sharp smile stood in front of her with a baby in her arms, she felt like it was very real.

_"Have you seen the child?" she asked._

_Sora shook her head. She wasn't sure if she was answering the question or expressing her desire to not see the babe._

_"Look," Madam Boucher cooed too sweetly, tilting the baby's face towards Sora._

_She felt her breath catch in her throat. The child had very pale hair that was way too similar to Leon's for her liking._

_"He's the spitting image of your husband," Madam Boucher cackled._

_The child opened its eyes, showing very blue irises. _

_"Not yours," the woman tutted. "A pity."_

Sora inhaled sharply, now fully awake. She tiredly rubbed her face as her heart slowed down to its normal rhythm.

"Leon?"

No response.

She bit her lip as her eyes watered. She wasn't certain why his lack of presence made her teary eyed.

_'He's gone to see the babe,' _Madam Boucher whispered in her mind.

Sora shook her head roughly. "Stop it."

All was silent again. She sat up and grabbed her crutches. Just as she was lifting herself up, she felt a cramp in her lower stomach.

"Ow."

Her brows furrowed as the cramp intensified. She whimpered a little, quickly getting herself to the bathroom. It was true that her period was running a little late, but given the last time it had, she decided to wait a few more days before calling Dr. Kate.

She sat on the toilet as she rode out the long cramp. Her arms wrapped around her belly as she bit her lip.

_This…is pretty strong for a period cramp._

SL

When Leon returned, it was evening.

He was exhausted from walking around so much which is what he wanted to happen. He had a feeling he was going to have a hard time going to sleep tonight, especially with what he was going to tell Sora.

Hell, he was probably going to be sleeping on the couch for the duration of their visit.

"Sora?" He took off his coat as he entered the bedroom. "You weren't answering your phone."

He spotted his laptop out on the table. Just when he was about to look at what she had up, he heard her in the bathroom.

_She's crying._

"Sora," he knocked on the door.

She didn't answer, though he did hear her cry even harder.

He turned the doorknob and was relieved to find it unlocked. Her clothing was all over the floor though her panties and shorts hung on the shower rod. They looked wet as if she had cleaned them.

From the bathtub, he saw her. Red faced, eyes bleary with tears and hands trembling.

"I think…" she hiccupped and then took a couple of breaths in, "I miscarried."

His brows furrowed in slight pain. She saw it and turned her face away.

"Look at me," he said, turning her face back to him, "it's ok."

She shook her head.

He sighed and wrapped his arms around her. He didn't care that he was getting wet, nor did he protest when she pulled him closer to her, which caused him to come into the tub, clothes and all.

"It's not your fault," he murmured.

She hugged him harder, but did not say anything else.

SL

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AN: And people want to hurt me...

Seriously though, women have early miscarriages more often than one would think, especially the high risk pregnancies. At least, from what I've heard...

Side note: Boucher means 'butcher'.


	76. Chapter 76

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For two nights, things were a tentative quiet between the Oswalds.

Sora hadn't kicked him out of the bedroom, which was something he had been expecting. He even ordered another blanket to be brought to their hotel room. She didn't avoid his presence in bed; rather, she slept with her head on his shoulder and her arm over his stomach.

He didn't know what to make of it.

Shouldn't she be avoiding him, yelling, scratching, or even demanding for answers? This silence was completely different from anything he's experienced with her. He sighed to himself, making her arm lift up and then back down with his breath.

"I'm going to get up."

She withdrew her arm from him and clutched the pillow he was sleeping on. He stood up, taking a good look at her on the bed. She looked so docile, so small as the big mattress and blanket surrounded her. He frowned a little and kneeled on the bed to get close to her.

"I'll order some breakfast." His hand brushed her bangs back as she silently looked at him. "Do you want oatmeal again?"

"Yes please," came her quiet response.

Some concern flitted across his eyes. She wasn't eating much and he has yet to get her to eat something more substantial. He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

Her eyes closed, the sweet gesture both soothed and ached. He left the bedroom and her eyes opened once more, looking a little glossy.

She knew that loving Leon would not be a cake walk.

Sure, there were fantastic moments and joyous ones. Like the time he told her he loved her or when he dressed up as a pirate with her and passed out candy at the Kaleido Stage for Halloween – technically, she was the one passing out the candy while he stood next to her holding the bowl, but that meant a lot to her considering who he is.

Then, there were frustrating moments and melancholic ones. Like when he wouldn't tell her his issue with Yuri or when Yume called him big brother, reminding him what he had lost.

She knew that these things would most likely happen but…

This issue of an unknown child from an unknown mother – it hurt.

Ever since they got engaged and she thought about what she wanted in a marriage, one of the first things that came to mind was family. She and Leon, they'd have their first girl and then a first boy – the order didn't matter to her; they could have two boys and then a girl or three girls and then a boy.

Regardless, she had thought that they'd have a first child together.

It was a dream every new bride thought of when she waited for her groom to come so she could pledge her love and loyalty. And now, she had what was most likely an early miscarriage, making the dream of a family smaller and smaller the longer they were married.

How violently bubbles could burst.

Her nose tickled as impeding tears threatened to come, but she lightly slapped her cheeks. _Stop it. _Now was not the time to get weepy. This trip to France was about Leon and Leon only. _I made a promise to protect and love him. _Right now, he needed to know that she will still stand by him, no matter what was uncovered.

'_I need to bury the bad memories before creating good ones,' he had told her on the plane to France._

No matter what happens, he still has her.

She fisted the pillow as she breathed in his scent. He showered in the evenings, leaving the scent of his shampoo in the pillow in the mornings. She loved how this happened; she loved taking delight in this.

_But am I the only one who has done this?_

She felt her heart twinge at the unwanted thought and quickly smothered it. She let go of the pillow, telling herself it didn't matter if another had done what she did; knew him in ways that only a lover would know.

A tear streaked down her cheek and she hastily wiped it away.

Telling herself these things was one thing. Actually _believing it_ was another.

SL

Breakfast was long over, but Leon asked her to stay at the table.

In his hands was a folder - she recognized it as the one Madame Boucher had given him a couple of days ago. Her fingers around the mug tightened as she mentally prepared herself for what was going to be shared.

"I now know who Laurel Bonheur is…as well as Marie."

He took out some photos as he spoke, keeping an eye on her face to gauge her reaction. "Laurel is the foster sister of a woman named Aliya Caron. Marie is Aliya's daughter."

He paused to find the least damaging words, but given the situation, he wasn't all too surprised when he couldn't find much better options.

"I may be Marie's biological father."

Something flashed across Sora's face, but she lifted her mug too soon for Leon to read what it was. When she finished taking a drink, her face was devoid of whatever initial reaction she had.

"You," she cleared her throat when a lump threatened to block her words, "don't know for sure?"

Leon sighed and ran a hand down his face. "For whatever reasons, the parental test had been inconclusive."

She felt something break inside, but she mustered her courage. _Whatever happens, he still has me. _She will be faithful to that. _But will I still have him? _Her bottom lip trembled a little. She bit it from inside her mouth and it stilled.

"So," she put on a smile, "what do we do now?"

"I have Aliya's address." He tapped his finger on the table as he thought. "I can ask her about Laurel."

"We," she corrected.

He gave her a long, speculative look. "Me."

"We're going together," she firmly stated.

_And there's the spitfire. _The earlier meekness gave her the image of a wounded animal. He could not bear seeing her that way, especially with the way she was trying to cover it up.

"I do not think that would be a good idea."

"I think a lot of things are bad ideas," she quipped with a firm line of her mouth, "but you don't hear me complaining."

He sat back in his chair. "If there are complaints, do share with the rest of the class."

"This trip, for one," she started, her frustration slowly building the more she thought about what was wrong. "You knew that Laurel Bonheur was in your past – don't deny it! – but you refused to tell me how." She leaned over the table as much as possible as she pointed a finger at him. "Then, some rude lady comes in here early in the morning the day after we arrived to give you those papers and then ask me how 'the child' is doing!"

"What?" he sharply asked. He had not heard what exactly Madame Boucher had said to his wife, but given her reaction to the reporter, Leon assumed the worse.

"Don't 'what' me!" she shouted, her eyes filming with water. "If there's anyone who should have questions answered it's me!"

The room was silent for a moment. Then, Sora picked up the napkin near her empty oatmeal bowl and wiped her face with it.

"You have questions," Leon murmured, gesturing his hand for her to continue.

"I have too many," she mumbled. "But most of them can wait." She sniffled a little and then looked up at him, her eyes pleading. "Tell me, as truthfully as you can…Do you think you're Marie's father?"

Technically, he supposed he could be if Marie was a very pre-mature baby or a very late one. But once he took the test and Aliya agreed on a settlement, the lawyer did not mention that the babe had been early or for him to take another test.

"My involvement with Aliya and the pregnancy…the timeframe is off by several months." He looked straight at his wife. "No, I personally do not think I am the father."

Sora nodded her head. "Ok." Some tears slipped out as her nodding turned into trembling. "Ok," she repeated in a choked voice.

Leon's chair screeched a little as he stood up and walked over to her side. Her hands covered her face as she wept; he pulled her to him, holding her long after she finished crying.

"Forgive me," he half whispered in her hair. She made to answer, but he shushed her with a soft sound. "You don't need to say anything. I just needed to offer, _mon coeur." _

She rubbed her face against his neck, her lips tickling him. "I forgive you."

He lifted her face up, reading and searching her eyes. "You shouldn't."

"I do," she whispered, her hand with the ring touching his face. "As long as you remain mine."

He kissed her hard. She kissed back with equal force.

SL

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AN: I know, this one's shorter than previous chapters, but I figured you've been waiting long enough. XD


	77. Chapter 77

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From the couch, Sora watched Leon talking on the phone.

He stood by the small dining table speaking softly, the words of his native tongue smoothly rolling out of his mouth. She didn't know what he was saying; she could only trust that he was doing what they had agreed on. It hadn't been easy finding an acceptable median.

Leon wanted to meet Aliya alone. Sora wanted to be there.

Perhaps she was a little nervous leaving her husband alone with a woman who had a relationship with him; maybe she thought the woman would guilt trip Leon into leaving her somehow in order to help raise Marie.

The latter idea sounded ridiculous even in her head, but she couldn't shake it out of her mind. He held her each night and waited for her to wake up before getting out of bed. How could a man that does all of this be capable of going back on those actions and leave his wife?

She didn't understand where her fear was coming from.

Leon said something and then hung up the phone. She started, quickly turning around to "read" the magazine on her lap. The soft shuffle of his socks against carpet let her know he was coming over. Casually, she turned the page as he sat on the couch with her. He watched her reading for a moment; she could feel his piercing eyes on her, gauging, assessing, planning…

"Ok," she finally let up, tossing the magazine on the coffee table, "I tried eavesdropping while you were on the phone. Happy?"

He quirked an amused brow. "I said nothing."

"Your _staring_ said something which is worse than actually saying something."

He shook his head. "Where do you get these notions from?"

""You dear," she lightly patted his cheek and then laid her head on his shoulder, "you're quite the muse, you know that?"

He hnned as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She laid her hand on his as they sat quietly, hearing the little birds outside and the rolling wheels of some big suitcase out in the hallway.

"So what's the plan?" she finally asked.

He looked down at her red hair and then sighed. "It's just as we discussed: I'll first meet with Aliya at the park some blocks away, gauge how the situation is and see if she knows where Laurel is." His arm gave her waist a little squeeze. "If things are stable, I'll bring Aliya to meet you at the hotel."

Sora nodded at the news, though her fear was still there.

"Leon?"

He hmmed, letting her know he was listening.

"Do you think – well, I know it's been a while since you've seen her, but did you two – " she swallowed the word 'love', not able to bring herself to ask him that, "did you two care about each other?"

"Sora," he gently said, "my past relationship with Aliya…it wasn't anything near what we have." He laid his cheek on her head, his thumb rubbing her hip. "We were brought together by a common loneliness."

She felt her eyes prickle. The thought of him feeling such loneliness made her want to soothe the past young man he used to be.

"I'm sorry. For the both of you."

He felt her nuzzle his shoulder in comfort. He felt that light warm flicker inside, like hot tea pouring down the throat and settling in the stomach. With her, he felt like she could bat away even the strongest of nightmares.

"I didn't dare to wish for someone so warm," he murmured as he rubbed his face against the top of her head, "I could only think to encase myself in ice."

If nothing reached him, then nothing could hurt him – except he miscalculated. Such a block didn't allow for anything to enter, not even the dream of paradise.

The future was uncertain for Leon.

Past, present, future…They were the greatest of mysteries for him, especially what was yet to come. Take their current situation: visiting Aliya may just stir up more trouble instead of resolve anything. Laurel could simply be dust in the wind until she decides to cause more havoc or make another attempt on his life. Given what had happened with Sora, Leon was afraid for what was to come, should Laurel be left alone. He was petrified of being alone, of needing to bury yet another loved one in the unforgiving ground.

They weren't even married one whole year yet.

He turned her face up and looked down at those doe eyes, the bow shaped mouth, and the red, red hair a little wild at the ends, but still soft. The idea of not having her here anymore made him ache something terrible inside. He felt like he just got her and was now in danger of losing her.

He leaned down; lips met like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Her hands fisted his shirt and some locks of his long mane of hair as he kissed her until her toes curled. His hands went under her blouse, his fingers whispering against her skin. She let out a soft gasp as his hot mouth seared down her neck, her breath coming out hard when his palm went over her bra.

"I could not have dreamed of you," he murmured into her ear before he kissed it, "back then, when my life meant so little."

She was too complex in her design, too kind and passionate for him to have imagined.

His thoughts had been dark, his mind a thundering madness. His actions were inexcusable and his reasoning just as bad. He could not have possibly have foreseen his life being the way it was now, with such a tender, spirited wife. A wife that continued to stay and a woman that wanted to love him despite his poor decisions.

Her hand reached up to his face. He basked in the touch.

"Your life had worth back then," her eyes glistened a little, the thrill of passion making her a lovely vision, "as it does today, and will continue to do so."

He kissed the tips of her fingers, her palm, wrist, and up her arm. When her blouse started to get in the way, he rolled up her quarter sleeves. Pleasurable thrills filled her, especially when he laid her down and uncovered her stomach. His teeth gently nipped and lips and tongue soothed over the love bites.

When his hand reached for her skirt's waistband, she stiffened, her hand automatically halting him from pulling it off.

He looked up at her, seeing the apprehension.

He let go of her skirt.

"Leon," she softly said when he sat up. She grabbed his hand in case he decided to go before she finished. "I'm not angry with you or anything, I just – "

"I know," he murmured.

It was too soon.

She needed some time to heal; time to overcome this sorrow of life that had not been. He wanted to make love, but not when she was feeling this way. He would do more damage than not if he didn't consider her feelings.

His free hand ran along her cheek. Her eyes closed as his fingers fleetingly brushed her lips.

"Leon…"

He stood up and straightened his shirt. "I need to get ready."

She let him go. There really wasn't much else to say about this matter. She sighed, drawing her knees to her chest as her arms went around her legs. She needed to worry about one thing at a time or else the fretting would never stop.

_First Aliya, Laurel, and then this…_

She will learn to overcome this hesitation. It just didn't have to be this very second.

SL

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AN: Next time will be the meeting with Aliya! How will things go?

Side note about last chapter: I'm sorry if I've made people cry. But I thought that it probably isn't easy to get over the fact that you're not your husband's first (in Sora's case) and what that means exactly.


	78. Chapter 78

AN: Here's a nice long chapter! :D

SL

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In this trip to France, Sora imagined many things.

She imagined having to work somehow – the Boss rarely let her take time off without having to do something. Or maybe her other foot getting injured due to clumsy/sleepiness. Time zone changes took a while to get used to. Heck, she even imagined Aliya and her becoming sister wives or something – she had May to blame for that one; the young woman was unnaturally obsessed with that show.

Being at the wrong end of a gun was not one of her imaginations.

"Ok," Sora slowly breathed out, her thoughts and impulses shooting throughout her body way too fast for her to really do anything else. "Let's just…think this over, ok?"

The petite hand holding the gun never wavered.

Sora swallowed, her hands coming up in surrender. She was not sure what else to do except to demonstrate that she meant no ill will, regardless of what the other intended.

And to think she had imagined things to be going for the better.

"Sit down," The intruder demanded.

Sora slowly walked over without her crutches. Her foot was doing much better and she found that she could walk short distances comfortably. But now was not the time to muse on her foot's progress.

Getting out of this mess was a much bigger problem…

SL

_Two hours before… _

Leon slowly breathed out as he sat at the park bench.

Aliya was running a little late, which was nothing new for him. Honestly, though, he was grateful for the delay. He still wasn't certain what exactly he was going to say to her when they were finally face to face. The last time he had heard from her she was asking him for help.

He sent her some money, washing his hands of her.

She told him to go to hell.

He imagined that her not so flattering response was the letter that Ken had been referring to at his bachelor dinner. Leon had given it to Kalos in order to block letters from that address or with that handwriting. Kalos didn't care what the contents said as long as Leon performed. After all, who was to say that the information was true or not? Throughout the years, Kalos has seen the strangest of letters and e-mails from fans; some even claimed to be related to stars in the hopes of having good seats saved for them.

Nevertheless, Leon appreciated the stage owner's discretion.

Ken, on the other hand had much to learn about keeping stage secrets.

"_Leon_?"

He stiffened just slightly, but it was enough for Aliya to have seen. She cracked a smile upon seeing it as she walked around the bench. He looked at the dark jeans and casual cream top making her look more mellow than he had ever known her to be.

The little girl next to her had his eyes widening slightly.

He had seen photographs of her, but had never met her in person. She had curly dark hair and pale eyes – but they were decidedly cloud blue. _Aliya's eyes. _He had never, ever, felt so relieved as he did in this moment. In the photo, her eyes had looked to be grey. His eyes narrowed as he considered who exactly had given him the photo.

Madame Boucher was always stirring up the waters for a story. He wouldn't be surprised if she had adjusted Marie's eye color in the photo.

_Damned reporter._

"_Marie," _Aliya's voice broke through his thoughts, "_meet mommy's friend,_ _Monsieur Oswald._"

"_Hello_, _Monsieur Oswald," _the young girl shyly said.

"_So shy!" _Leon looked to Aliya when the woman laughed. "_She's a fan of yours, Leon. Especially your wife."_

He looked back at Marie and extended a hand. "_You can call me Leon, Marie."_

She ducked her face behind her mother as she stuck her hand out. Her freckled face turned a light pink when she felt his big, warm hand. He could imagine Sora teasing him about this. 'Puppy love,' Sora would have cooed.

Thank God Marie wasn't really his daughter.

"_Alright, go play Marie," _Aliya lightly patted her daughter's back towards the grassy field with the play structures, "_I see one of your friends over by the giraffe."_

The girl took one last look at Leon and then dashed off, her frilly yellow skirt bouncing as she ran. Leon watched as Aliya sighed and then sat herself down right next to him.

"_I hope you don't mind that I've brought her. My usual sitter was unavailable."_

_"It's of no consequence," _he murmured. "_To be honest, I am surprised that you allow her to be a fan of mine."_

Aliya gave a shrug, idly tucking her hair behind her ear. It used to be a lighter shade of blonde, but now it was almost a dark caramel color. "_She saw a video recording of one of your performances at a friend's house," _she tsked her tongue, flicking her wrist, "_It wasn't the worse thing in the world."_

He wasn't certain how offended he should be.

Aliya glanced at him and by the grin on her face he took it that she was joking.

"_In all seriousness," _Aliya started up as her grin disappeared. "_I was ok with it when I saw the Angel's Maneuver."_

He sharply turned his head back to her. She knew about Sophie's dream and his promise. After all, he had been looking for someone to confide in, in those first couple of months after Sophie's death. Once he realized that he was being too free in his speech, he revealed less and less about himself, finally blocking her and everyone else out.

At one point in Aliya's life, she had wanted to be the one that transformed Leon Oswald. But she hadn't wanted to change him for the sake of him having a better life. She wanted him to change for herself, so she could have someone like her that understood her and thought like her.

Her feelings for him had been selfish, plain and simple.

Sora, as far as Aliya could tell, transformed him for his own sake.

And now, after seeing all of the emotion, all of the love and joy on his face in the performances, she could not imagine a better woman for Leon than Sora Naegino.

"_I admire her," _Aliya said with a smile, "_Your wife, I mean."_

Leon was quiet for a moment. Then he sat back and looked over across the grassy park to the tall trees. The autumn leaves were already coming, marking the coming change in seasons once more.

"_You've changed," _he murmured, "_In a very good way."_

Aliya's face softened a little. "_I have Marie to thank for that." _She fingered the plastic bracelet her daughter had made for her. The string maybe wasn't the best nor the beads the most expensive, but the care in which her daughter spent in making it made it a true treasure of hers. "_I still don't understand how I gave birth to such a dear."_

Leon nodded to that. He himself didn't understand how he had Sora.

"_Are you doing well?"_

_"It's been a good year for us. Marie won a junior medal for her gymnastics; I've been promoted to higher pay…" _Aliya grinned, tilting her head up in pride, "_I've also found a nice man."_

_"Is it serious?"_

Aliya lifted up her left hand, showing the single diamond ring that sat on her finger.

_"Congratulations,"_ Leon murmured, putting some sincerity into the words. All in all, she had been the closest thing to a friend, despite the later circumstances. _"I wish you the best."_

_"You better," _Aliya teased. "_If something goes wrong with my wedding, I'll know who to blame."_

Leon softly scoffed. She grinned at him.

"_He's short, but strong," _she continued on, comfortable to talk freely, "_I guess I outgrew my 'tall man' obsession." _She sighed. "_He wears his heart on his sleeve and I don't have to spell things out for him, unlike certain people."_

Leon caught her half glare.

_"Are you calling me unintelligent?"_

_"I'm calling you oblivious." _Aliya shook her head at him. "_When I wrote to you for help, I wasn't asking for money."_

He had wondered when she'd bring up the last letters they had exchanged.

"_What did you want, then?"_

She steadily stared at him. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and then sighed.

_"I could not have given you that."_

She tutted and turned back forward. _"I know now, but back then, I was still hoping…"_ She looked at Marie running around with her ginger haired friend and laughing. How happy that girl was; Aliya was glad she wasn't like her growing up. _"I found her real father," _she quietly murmured, _"a year after she was born. When her hair grew out nice and curly and her chin was more defined, I knew then who it was."_

Leon was silent for a moment. And then he asked, "_If you knew, why did you persist in calling me her father?"_

_"I was a single mother looking for some support. I thought that if I just ignored what I had learned, kept telling myself that it was you and not some deadbeat piano player at a rundown theatre, maybe you'll come back." _Aliya shrugged. _"Stupid hope. But back then, I was still a stupid kid."_

He could understand hoping for the impossible. In the three years after Sophie's death, he would have moments when he couldn't handle the facts. He'd tell himself that it had been some nightmare that he couldn't wake up from because the truth of matter was too painful to consider.

His beloved sister wasn't dead.

He was just sleeping, just stuck in some long night terror.

But in the back of his mind, he knew. It was real, not a warped dream. He could only fool himself for a short amount of time.

He had been a stupid kid too.

_"I was a little in love with you," _Aliya confessed, _"but not anymore. Marie…she's shown me what love is like, what it really means to want to be committed to someone for the rest of your life." _She laughed at her thoughts. "_She's probably the reason why I was able to find a decent guy for a change."_

Leon quirked a brow at the subtle poke, but did not take too much offense. He really hadn't been a decent guy back then by any standards. France was afraid of him, Europe in general. He had some fans, but mostly because he quote-unquote, 'was real eye candy.' Others resented him, but could not deny that he was extremely talented.

It fed his ego, making him arrogant along with stoic.

And then came along Sora, who laughed in the face of his ego.

Looking back now, he realized that it was not solely the fact that she may be a suitable trapeze partner that kept him at the stage. In the back of his mind, he was _attracted_ by her defiance. No one before had dared to stand up to him before or speak their mind unfiltered and unconcerned for fear of what he'd do in retaliation.

If she spoke up to him like that nowadays, he'd more likely than not pounce on her, making sure he was the only thing on her mind.

Strange how what had aggravated him then now made him want her.

Or had it simply been aggravating back then because he wanted her, but couldn't do anything about it? More like she wouldn't _allow _him to do anything. Can't very much be seduced if you're upset with the seducer, after all.

Not that that was much of an issue now…

His thoughts sobered as he recalled the last time he touched her. There actually was an issue but it was something that needed time to heal along with attitude. He will help her overcome this as soon as Laurel was taken care of.

Speaking of the teen…

"_Aliya, have you spoken to Laurel recently?"_

Aliya snapped out of her thoughts. "_Laurel? How did you - ? I never told you about her."_

Leon tapped his knee. _"You follow what happens at Kaleido Stage, correct?"_

"_Well yes, but what does that have to do with - "_

_"Laurel's responsible for Sora's injury."_

_"…No. Not her." _Aliya stood up in agitation. "_She's a huge fan of Sora! Why would she hurt her?"_

_"She was trying to hurt me."_

Aliya blinked at Leon, trying to process this all in. "_Laurel…"_ she sighed and gathered her thoughts. _"I'm sorry, Leon. I haven't spoken to her in years. I only received a letter earlier this year saying that she was going to study in America."_

_"Does she know what happened between us?"_

Aliya rolled her eyes. _"It wouldn't be difficult for her to find out, but honestly, the last time we saw each other it hadn't been on good terms."_

_"Do you have an address at least?"_

Aliya shook her head. _"The last letter I sent had been returned to me. She doesn't live at home anymore either."_

Leon sighed. Aliya was a dead end, as he had feared.

SL

_Current time with Sora…_

Sora sat perfectly still as the teen tied her up.

She had only opened the door because Laurel had been close to tears, saying that she wanted to ask for their forgiveness. Sora, being a sucker for second chances, let the young teen into the hotel room.

Then, the teen had pulled out the gun.

"You're too trusting," Laurel bit out as she tied the last knot.

"Not a bad thing," Sora murmured, "to give people second chances."

Laurel looked up at Sora, seeing that the redhead was directing it towards her. She scoffed and stood up, pointing the gun back at Sora.

"I don't need a second chance and neither does Leon."

_And yet another fan upset with their wedding... _Sora was getting tired of hearing that complaint. Who were they to say that their marriage was bad or not?

"Laurel, why can't Leon get a second chance?"

"People just _don't _get second chances! It's not the real world!" Laurel frowned the more she thought about it. "If I can't, then why - " She cut herself off as she realized what she almost said. "They just don't, ok?"

_If she can't? _Sora had a feeling that the second chance that Laurel wanted wasn't related to her or Leon.

"So what is this, then?" Sora quietly asked. "Why make things worse like this?"

"I'm correcting a wrong," Laurel firmly stated. "Not making things worse."

Sora kept her eyes on the teen, hoping she looked calm enough for Laurel to want to continue. After all, this really wasn't the first time she had talked to someone with a gun. If she could get a bank robber to tell her his dreams, then she could get a lost teen to tell her what's on her mind.

"…You just don't get it," Laurel finally said in aggravation, "your life went the way you wanted it to. Not me. Not…Not for Aliya either." She sat down on a chair near Sora as she sighed. "When Aliya left home, I had cried. It sucked not seeing her every day, but even then we still managed to write to each other. She'd send me the show programs of the circuses she was at and I kept them in a scrap book."

Laurel frowned deeply.

"Then, she met _him. _The letters were filled with the great Leon Oswald and then soon, the letters starting coming in less frequently until they stopped all together." She tapped the barrel of the small gun against her thigh in irritation. "It wasn't until this year that I found out what had happened – the great _scandal _between Leon and my foster sister. To think that all this time, all the years that I stopped trying to reach out to her and moved on with my life, she had been raising a kid all on her own."

"Laurel…"

The teen didn't accept the sympathy. In fact, it only made her more upset.

"He's going to ruin your life and you don't even care!" Laurel spat out. "Look what he did to my sister!"

"Marie's not his daughter," Sora gently said.

"And he told you that, didn't he?" Laurel pulled out a photo from her pocket and put it right in Sora's face. "Look at this girl and tell me that's not his kid."

A sliver of doubt crept in as she saw the unmistakable grey eyes of Marie. It could be his…maybe…but then that day, she had asked him and he had answered her.

"…It's not his daughter," she quietly said.

"What?"

"He's not the father," Sora said with more conviction. "He told me so."

"He's lying!"

"He's not," Sora firmly stated, "he told me the truth."

"…You're blind," Laurel shook her head. "You are incredibly blind. Why do you believe him when I'm _showing _you that he is?"

"It's called having faith in someone," Sora softly replied, "you got to trust someone in this world or else you'll be miserable for the rest of your life."

"I had faith in you," Laurel bitterly said. "But then you married him."

"…Stop it," Sora's mouth was a firm line, "stop using my marriage as an excuse. It's insulting, to be honest and I'm sick of hearing it."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your own feelings of disappointment," Sora loudly boomed. "You're placing them on me and Leon when we're not really the source of your negative feelings."

"Oh really? Then who am I disappointed in?"

"Yourself."

Laurel blinked at that and then laughed. "Oh that's funny, Miss Sora!"

"I'm not joking."

The laughter died quickly. Sora steeled her nerves as the teen stood up and leaned over into Sora's face.

"You've got a big mouth considering who has the gun."

"You said that you stopped trying to reach Aliya," Sora continued on heedlessly with her assessment, "moved on with your life while Aliya was struggling this whole time." Before Laurel could think about interrupting, Sora plunged on, sink or swim. "You're upset with yourself for not knowing, for not helping your sister when she needed you the most. And now, you think that hurting Leon will make things better somehow – will be a sort of vengeance for Aliya. But you're only thinking about healing _yourself_. You want the guilt to stop. You want the ache to disappear."

Laurel's eyes were a little watery as Sora finished her assessment.

"But you're only hurting yourself even more. And if Aliya knew what you've been up to, you'd be hurting _her_ too."

"Y-You," Laurel sputtered, "you can't just – all of it, right now…"

"Laurel," Sora softly said as the tears fell from her eyes, "it's ok."

The teen dropped the gun and fell against Sora with a sob.

"It'll be fine," Sora cooed, "you'll be fine."

SL

Sometime later, Leon brought Aliya and Marie to the hotel.

Laurel was not there anymore – she wasn't quite ready to face Aliya right now, let alone Leon.

Marie was stuck in a stupor as both of her favorite trapeze artists were sitting near her. Aliya smiled at Marie's happiness, glad that things were finally going smoothly. Sora and Aliya talked quietly to each other while Leon was answering Marie's questions about Kaleido Stage.

The chatter soon came to an end.

They had dinner plans with Aliya's fiancé and needed to get ready. Phone numbers were exchanged and Sora saw them to the door as Leon held the door.

"For you," Sora murmured as she slipped a note in Aliya's hand.

Aliya blinked, but then nodded. She'll read it later in private.

"Bye!" Maried waved enthusiastically, her initial shyness long gone now.

SL

They were getting ready for bed, Sora already under the covers while Leon was still up and about.

"Whatever it is," Sora called out with a yawn, "it can wait for tomorrow, Leon."

A few seconds later and Leon's form appeared. His face was carefully blank which made her sit up.

"Something wrong?"

He slowly blinked at her and then walked over to the bed. "Not particularly."

She looked up at him as he stood over her. "Ah." She fidgeted a little. "Some reason why you're on my side of the bed? It's occupied," she lightly joked.

"When, dear wife," he dryly drawled, his hand hiding behind his back coming forward, "were you going to tell me about this?"

Her eyes widened as he pulled out Laurel's gun.

"Where did you – ?"

"You didn't completely hide it under the table's rug," he flatly stated. "What is this?"

"It's ah, a gun."

"Correct," he sighed as his wife evaded the question, "And why is it in our hotel room?"

"I uh, thought you didn't like the maids leaving mints, so I asked for something more masculine…"

"Sora."

"…It kind of was left here," she cringed as she explained. He was going to explode, she was sure of it, "After, um, Laurel came."

"_What?_" he quietly, but oh so sharply said.

"She came saying she wanted to apologize," Sora blabbed out, her hands fluttering everywhere, "so I opened the door, of course. But then she had a gun, and then I said she had misplaced anger and then she started crying, and she untied me and we had some tea and then she left."

Leon pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Sora, you…I don't even know what to say."

"But everything's fine now! She even wrote you a letter," Sora opened the drawer next to the bed and pulled out a note. "She wrote one to Aliya too since she said she wasn't ready to see her yet."

Leon put the gun in the open drawer and then placed his hands on her shoulder.

"You let someone who had a gun pointed at you _walk away._"

She blinked. "But she said she was sorry so I just didn't want her to get in trouble."

He stared at her in disbelief. He knew she had a big heart, but this…

"Sora, you can't do things like that."

"But she's just a teen."

"That's not the point," he nearly spat out. "You were in harm's way and you didn't even _tell me _about it!" His eyes narrowed as he considered his wife, "_Were_ you going to tell me at some point?"

"…probably?"

He let go of her before he gave into the urge to shake some sense into her. "I need to shower."

The bathroom door slammed. She winced when she heard it.

_Well that could have gone better._

SL

In the middle of the night, he felt her hand caress his arm.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He rolled over on his side. She sighed, inching closer so she could half embrace him.

"You need to care about your life," he muttered after a moment.

"I do."

"It needs to go _first_," he emphasized, "when you're in situations like that." He rolled back to face her. "I cannot bear the thought of you going before me."

She blinked at that somber thought. "So it's ok if you leave me behind? Not a chance!"

He shook his head at her little joke. He sighed and pulled her into his arms. "We have a dilemma, then," he murmured.

"We'll just go at the same time."

He rolled his eyes at that. It was highly unlikely.

"…I'll be more careful," she sleepily mumbled, his warmth making her cozy.

"Please do."

He felt her place a kiss on his chin before she was limp against him.

SL

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AN: I'm thinking that there's only maybe four or five more chapters so we're finally getting to the end! :D Sorry it's taken so long - it even went into a sequel. Goodness, if you combine both SitD and SV, that's a lot of chapters...

I wanted to try going straight into action for a good chapter hook with this chapter. But then, it was pretty wordy later on. Sorry about that!

Oh and the "italics" for Aliya, Marie, and Leon's speech was to indicate that it was in French.


	79. Chapter 79

AN: With the end coming, I'm trying to get as much as I can in each chapter, so it's taking a longer time to get these chapters out. Sorry about that, but I think it's worth it - hopefully you think so too. :D

SL

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Her friends were now in France, marking the coming Circus Festival. Currently, they were walking down the streets to go to an early dinner.

"Sora," Rosetta murmured when she and the redhead fell behind the group.

Leon was the closest one to them with May, but the dark haired acrobat was too busy discussing Festival details to the Frenchman. Now that May was a competitor that only left Leon to present this year's trophy. How the committee felt about that was not yet known to them, but they had a feeling it wouldn't be in the positive.

As for Rosetta, she was glad that she passed May's final test and compete in the Festival. However, as a friend of Sora, she fretted a little, knowing her friend's feelings regarding the Festival.

"Are you disappointed," Rosetta nervously asked once she had Sora's attention, "that I want to compete here?"

The walking cane that Sora now used paused in the air and then came back down to the sidewalk.

"Of course not, Rosetta." Sora offered her a smile. The younger teen gave a small one in return. "It's not the fact that they're competing," Sora murmured, her smile dropping a little as she remembered the drama backstage and how people kept trying to mess the other one up. "It's the spirit that I don't like."

"Spirit?"

Sora sighed. "Friendly competition is one thing; wanting to do anything – and I mean _anything_ – to win is just a big battle." She half shrugged, not seeing how else she can put it. "How can there be any goodwill fostered among war?"

Rosetta slowly nodded to that. She's been in competitions since she was very little, but really, the battles didn't really bother her. She just had to be better, stronger, and then the bad stuff could not touch her. She could understand Sora's point of view but in this matter she felt like she was more like May.

Yes, Rosetta valued camaraderie, but competition excited her too.

Maybe if Sora had been competing as long as Rosetta and May have, the star wouldn't feel so strongly against the Circus Festival. Sora would understand that these kinds of situations happened and trying to fix it would be futile - a fool's errand that would take a lifetime and many supporters.

But then again, that's what makes them different, especially since the star was slowly, but surely, making progress.

Sora smiled, lightly bumping her friend's arm. She didn't mean to make it sound so negative; Sora could see it in Rosetta's eyes that she was looking forward to this. Who knows, maybe the Festival won't be quite as terrible as the last time she was here. After all, there wasn't the drama from last time suffocating this Festival. She could hope, couldn't she?

"I'll cheer for you."

Rosetta grinned. "Thanks Sora!"

Sora laughed as Rosetta gave her a side hug.

SL

An assistant of the committee was going over the program, but Leon was only half listening.

He looked around the empty stadium seating and the big open space in the center where the competition was. He was in the past now, waiting by the sidelines as the speakers announced that the Oswald siblings would be up in ten minutes. He could remember the anxiety as he waited for his sister to show up and then the piercing dread when someone came with a message from the front desk, saying that the hospital was on the line for him.

_'I'll be back soon,' _Sophie had said.

He had been a fool to not question what she felt compelled to do on the day of their competition. If he had only asked what it was or had even gone with her, with or without her permission…

Leon closed his eyes. _What's done is done._

However terrible it was, no matter what he wished, the past was done. No amount of thought or hoping will change what has occurred. He could only think of the present, and how to form his future.

_I am done being afraid._

The present and future will be determined by his actions, as well as Sora and the others. He will no longer be content to stand by and let the world move around him. Even if he made a mistake or two, even if people were upset with him for a time, it was all better than staying still.

He would rather be a ripple than a sunken stone.

"…did you get everything, Monsieur Oswald?"

He turned to look at the assistant. "Opening speech after head committee; trophy after winners announced," he summarized with a toneless expression, "I wait in the back room ten minutes before program starts and my presence will be at the main balcony."

The assistant blinked. He really thought Leon was ignoring him.

"Ah, yes. That's it."

SL

Five minutes before the competition and Leon was sitting down reading.

Just as he turned the page, a knock sounded before the door opened. He wasn't surprised, given that several committee members had done just that minutes ago. He kept his gaze on the book, waiting to hear what else he had yet to answer for.

He heard a clunk followed by steps.

"Sora?"

His wife gave him a smile and then closed the door. She still wore a brace on her foot, but she was able to switch to a smaller one, allowing her to wear a shoe around it once more. In her hand was a polished wooden cane he had gotten for her to take some of the pressure off. She wore a grey-blue long sleeved dress with dark leggings. The black belt was a little over three inches and clinched below her bosom attractively.

Her silver evening star earrings gleamed as she walked to his side. "I thought you could use some company."

"Rather late, don't you think?"

Sora huffed. "Well, Mr. Hot Shot, it's not my fault they put you in the way back."

"Hnn." He closed his book and set it aside. Lazily, he perused her form and with a half grin he wrapped his arms around her waist, putting her between his legs. She squeaked a little, the cane falling out of her hand. "Better for us, don't you think?"

She pursed her lips at him, her cheeks slightly flushed. "You're here for a speech, mister."

He lifted her hand from his shoulder and nipped her palm. She sighed, her hand coming out of his grip to run through his hair.

"Do you know what you're going to say?"

His eyes closed as she continued to run her fingers through his hair. He wasn't the greatest person to be giving inspirational speeches. The most he would tell people was to satisfy him before the audience.

Not exactly a medal earning speech.

"I have an idea," he murmured, his hands rubbing her hips. Then he buried his face against her stomach like he would a pillow. He said something else but his words were muffled and hard to hear.

"Could you repeat that?"

He lifted his head so he could look at her. "Come with me."

"To where?" she blinked at him, "The balcony?"

"Yes."

"I'm not allowed!"

"Who says you're not?"

She stammered a little, trying to think of an answer. "W-Well, if anyone could be there, then why bother being so strict about having the past winners do the speech and trophy thing?"

"I asked you to come with me, not to do the speech."

She took a few seconds to consider that. "As long as you do the two main things…I guess there shouldn't be anything wrong with me being close by."

She nodded to herself, not seeing anything wrong with her reasoning.

"Ok, I'll come."

SL

Sora swallowed hard. _Why did I agree to this?_

Granted, she wasn't going to speak and she wasn't as close to the edge of the balcony as Leon was, but she really wasn't a public speaker. Informal talks and such she could do; having a massive crowd with a full on camera crew on you was something else entirely.

Thank Kami she didn't win last time.

The head of the committee - a medium height man with greying hair – boomed out a greeting in both French and English. The stadium cheered and some flashes of cameras went off from then on out as he gave an introduction of this year's festival and how eager he was to see this year's line up. Then came the time for Leon to talk and the man's smile looked just a little stiff.

"Head Committee Baudin resents him," an assistant said under her breath. Sora slightly turned her head to her left to indicate that she was listening. "Baudin's niece was an acrobat until she met Monsieur Oswald."

Sora bit her lip. "Was she injured?"

"No," the assistant laughed under her breath, "she was never recognized to have been given a tryout to be his partner. In many ways being shunned was worse. Although arrogant, critics listened to Monsieur Oswald's opinions."

Sora hmmed to herself, faintly hearing some clapping as Leon stepped up. She clapped for him as did the assistant and Committeeman Baudin, though the latter two was out of decorum.

_You can do this, Leon._

She lifted her hand to rub a silver star earring.

SL

There were many people in the crowd.

Leon was used to it.

The only difference was that he usually just performed. No speech was necessary. His actions were his words. This moment now was completely the opposite.

His words were his performance.

"We are gathered here yet again," he murmured slowly, keeping his voice even. "A place that is said where dreams come true."

He paused for a moment and looked around.

So many performers, so many first timers – this year would most likely be the first and only for many performers. It was nearly impossible to get in; the committee was a group of picky old men and women with nothing better to do than to judge. When he had called Yuri Killian, he had then called the committee to ask if Layla and Yuri's turn could be pushed back a few rounds to allow Yuri to come to the hospital.

The head of the committee had laughed and then hung up.

Leon faintly wondered what they did in the years the festival wasn't held. They must have families or at least friends. Were they kinder to them than they were to the challengers?

He let go of the thought. He had a speech to finish.

"I am here to tell you that this place is not where dreams are fulfilled."

There was a murmuring within the crowd. He could feel Baudin burning a hole in his skull. If looks could kill, Leon was sure he would already be twelve feet under.

"This," he rumbled, his arms outstretched around him, "is where they begin."

The murmuring stilled, the audience's breath collectively drawn in in surprise. Not even his dear wife had been expecting these words.

"Mind you, not all dreams start here." He turned his head around as he talked. "Sometimes nightmares begin, but only if you let it." He stopped again to swallow the small lump in his throat, the action too faint for people to see. "In losing the first time, I started on the path of a new goal. The second time and I was able to meet that goal and inevitably start a new dream."

He turned around to Sora. She blinked at his extended hand and then looked up at his face. He was calm, his eyes gently glowing with confidence and reassurance.

She placed her hand in his.

Slowly, she stepped up next to him, her hand still in his.

Leon continued on. "I can only hope to continue to live up to that dream." He glanced at her and then looked back at the audience. "Today let this be your beginning. For, win or lose, you have much to gain."

A slow clapping came from the corner. Then, the sound exploded all around.

Sora tugged on their hands. He looked down at her smile and glistening eyes. She threw her arms around him, her lips pecking his cheek.

"You did it," she said for his ears only.

He faintly smiled back, though she didn't see it.

SL

Sora couldn't stop staring at him.

Even when May and Rosetta were up, then the winners announced and Leon gave another pair the trophy, Sora couldn't tear her eyes away from him. Even now as they waited with their friends on the sidewalk for taxis she couldn't look away.

"We were so close!" Rosetta half whined.

May grunted, a lazy grin on her face. "We did our best, kid. We'll win next time for sure."

"People were impressed," Ken patted Rosetta on the back. "They're aware of you now, Rosetta. That's not something to take lightly."

"Really?"

"You betcha."

Two taxis came up to them. Anna, Sarah, and Mia took the first. May and Rosetta started getting into the second taxi while Ken hesitated. He looked back at Sora and Leon and then the little space in the back of the cab.

"We'll catch the next one," Leon answered Ken's silent wondering.

Ken rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Ah, if that's alright with you two…"

"Of course it is," May rolled her eyes and then grabbed the back of Ken's coat, tugging him into the taxi.

The young man yelped as he stumbled into the taxi. Unconcerned, May leaned over his lap and closed the door.

"What was that for?!"

"You were taking forever, you dolt. Besides," May let loose a smirk as she looked at Ken. "I have a feeling they want to be alone."

Ken sputtered at the wink May gave him.

SL

Once they were in the cab, Sora spoke.

"I'm proud of you."

Leon looked down at her, seeing the warm smile as she hugged his arm and pressed herself into his side. Right now, with the moon shining in her eyes and her soft chest against him, he wanted to kiss her.

"You helped me go through with this," he rumbled.

Sora looked up at him, admiring the way his hair glowed under night's natural light. Her hand rubbed under his sleeve, feeling his firm forearm. She wet her lips, a familiar thrill running through her the longer she kept his gaze.

His eyes followed her tongue's motion. She caught the flicker that flashed through his eyes.

She leaned up and pecked his lips.

The flicker in his eyes became a burning ember. She leaned up as if to kiss him again, though this kiss wasn't going to be anywhere near the faint peck, however, the taxi halted suddenly, causing her to squeak and fell not so gracefully on Leon's lap.

The taxi driver yelled something out the window and then they were moving once more.

"Startled?"

Her face burned as Leon chuckled. "Thanks for catching me," she groused as she straightened herself up.

"I thought you wanted to be on my lap."

Her cheeks heated up even more. "Months later and you're still conceited."

He gave her a devious grin. "That, my dear, will never go away." He leaned his face down to hers, his hair slipping over his shoulder to lightly tickle her hands in her lap. "So long as you continue to respond to me, it will remain."

"Wha- that doesn't even make any sense!" She pursed her lips and pointed a finger at him. "Unless you secretly like to be scolded…"

His eyes lidded. "Have I been bad, Mrs. Oswald?"

Her pulse fluttered erratically. It was just her new surname, but the way he was looking at her and practically purred it out had her insides all twisted up.

"You're a masochist," she retorted.

Her voice came out a squeaky, which, unfortunately for her, Leon did not miss. He rarely ever missed when she reacted to his seductions. It was almost like he was hardwired to be alert in that regard.

"Does this mean," he murmured in her ear, "you wish to punish me?"

"I-I think this is our hotel coming up," she squeaked.

He smiled, the corners of his mouth curling up roguishly. "So it is."

SL

She hadn't thought the elevator trip to the fifth floor was long.

Now, as she stood next to Leon and his piercing eyes never leaving her form, she was painfully aware of two things: five floors was a long way and the elevator space was much too small.

She fiddled with her sleeve. "I'm not sure, Leon."

He gave her a slow blink. She wet her lips and then looked at him from the corner of her eyes.

"I know you want to…" her cheeks faintly glowed pink, "um, make love and honestly, I'm not really opposed to it, but I just –" she sighed and then picked at her hair, "I don't know what's wrong with me. Shouldn't this feeling have passed already?"

He took the hand that was fussing with her hair. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do."

"Then lean on me," he murmured before placing a kiss on the back of her hand, "whatever happens, let me be your anchor." He stepped close and kissed her forehead. "Let me love you and we both will take on what follows."

"I…" she trailed off, her eyes looking at the ring on her finger. He gave her his pledge to be there, no matter what. The ring, the sign of eternal love and devotion, now and forever…even if no children followed after their marriage.

_No more._

She would not allow fear to continue to keep them separated this way. She had welcomed him whenever he desired to be one; she didn't want to deny this form of connection anymore.

Truthfully, she missed the connection herself.

She tilted her face up and he answered, leaning down for a chaste kiss. It was sweet, soft…but not enough for either of them. His tongue ran along her bottom lip; her hands gripped his hair. His hands went under her dress, moving up and down her legs. Even through the dark leggings, she could feel how hot his hands were.

The elevator dinged open. Leon lifted her up and walked out with her feet dangling in the air. Lips stayed together and her hands traveled under his dress shirt and down his back. He didn't want to let go of her, not now when she was open to his physical affections.

"Sora," he murmured, momentarily releasing her bottom lip from his the sweet torture, "we need the room card key."

"Mm," she continued nibbling his jawline. "Where is it?"

"Pants pocket."

Her hand drifted down blindly to his right pocket.

"Back pocket."

She paused in her nibbling and looked at him. He gave her a wicked grin. She ducked her head and slipped her hand around him to the back pocket. She withheld a squeak as she had to dig her hand further down, simultaneously feeling his backside.

"Forward, aren't we?"

"Shut up," she embarrassedly bit out. "Here you scoundrel."

He took the room key with a smirk. "You can tell me how bad I am in just a moment."

"Wait one second, buster!"

The door unlocked and before she could further protest his mouth was over hers once more. The heated kiss stole her thoughts, the frenzy of the moment keeping her occupied.

Leon kicked the door closed.

SL

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AN: Now with the festival over, there should be more lighthearted chapters.

Sorry if the actual festival was fast, but I'm focusing more on SXL than the other characters, which is why I opted out in describing May and Rosetta's performance. I like those characters, but I thought for the sake of this story, it would be straying too far from it.


	80. Chapter 80

SL

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Early October came to the Oswald home with warmth despite the chilling air outside.

After all the heartache in France, both were glad for the change. For Sora, autumn used to just mean that there would be red and orange leaves for her to pile up and jump into, plus Halloween and all kinds of sweets.

Ever since she became involved with Leon, autumn gained a new importance.

As Leon stirred in their bed with the faint smell of something spicy sweet undoubtedly coming from the kitchen, he reached a hand out for Sora, but then sleepily realized that she was downstairs already, hence the smell.

He rolled over with a sigh and then sat up, taking a look at the tableside clock.

_8:42am._

He shook his head. They were getting into the dreadful habit of sleeping in. Once Mia had the plans for the Christmas and New Year's Eve shows, they were going to be getting up before dawn to practice. Leon stretched his arms up and over his head, bending backwards a little to get that good tautness. It was too late to get in a good morning jog; by now the sidewalks would be full of other joggers or dog walkers. He wasn't opposed to being around other joggers; he simply preferred not to have to worry about having enough room to jog or being stuck behind slower runners.

_An afternoon on the trapeze will do._

It has been a while and frankly, he missed it. He'll even try to get Sora to try for a bit. Her foot was still braced, but Dr. Kate said she didn't require a walking stick or crutches anymore.

The exercise might even do her foot some good.

He got up and went into the upstairs bathroom.

SL

Sora poured herself a cup of steaming cider and then went over to the kitchen window.

The condo they now lived in was one bedroom, one guest/office room, a full bathroom with a shower upstairs and only a toilet and sink in the downstairs washroom. The living room was a comfortable space with soft sandy colored carpet – something Leon greatly approved, much to Sora's embarrassment – and a small dining area near the kitchen. Although there were stairs, it was more like they had one and a half floors since the second floor wasn't nearly as big as the ground level.

What Sora liked was the backyard.

In the dorms and apartment, they didn't have a front or backyard. With the condo there was a little bit of a front yard, but the backyard made up for any deficiencies. Right now the bushes were bare and the lemon tree not giving fruit like the owners said it does in its seasons, but Sora was eager for the promise of lemons and flowers once spring came around.

She watched a little red bird hopping about the drying grass and then it fluttered away with something to the neighboring trees.

_Got a nest, mama bird?_

She couldn't wait to see the little birdies…

She lifted her mug to take a sip when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist from behind, causing her to quickly put the mug down for fear of spilling. She turned her head to look up at Leon's face.

"Good morning, birthday boy," Sora smiled and then pecked his cheek.

He hmmed and then looked down at her mug. "Apple cider?"

"With some cranberry." Her smile widened. "You want some? I made a whole pot of it."

"In a bit," he murmured and then rested his chin on her shoulder, slouching a bit to reach down to her. "What do you have planned?"

"Well, for breakfast, I thought I'd try making – "

"Not for that."

She picked up her mug from the counter. "I don't know what other plans you mean, Leon."

"Don't play coy," he gave her waist a playful squeeze, "You were on the phone with May last night just as I was coming out of the shower."

"It's a surprise for a reason, _anata._"

He half smiled at the endearing term. "Flattery will not discourage me."

"I'm not saying anything."

"Hm," he nuzzled behind her ear, "perhaps a little persuasion is in order."

His hands traveled up from her waist and she placed her mug down, afraid of spilling it with the thrills shooting up her body. She was like putty in his hands, her body moving with the direction of his warm, secure hands. His lips brushed her jaw and her lips in a slow, teasing way.

"Leon," she murmured, her hand coming up to cup his face.

He looked down at her with lidded eyes, the grey irises flickering with desire.

"Still not telling," she flatly stated, giving his cheek a little pat. "I can't believe you'd try to seduce me to find out."

He grinned at her, the desire not leaving his eyes. "I don't try."

She swallowed a little. He really doesn't.

He lifted her on the counter and her hands dug into his hair, his teeth nibbling her neck. She tilted her head back; why bother fighting the inevitable? Her phone went off from within her pocket. With a sigh, she pulled it out. When Leon continued nibbling, she looked down at him.

"I need to answer the phone."

"Alright." He stayed between her legs and his mouth along her neck.

"Whatever happened to private conversations?"

He paused to quirk a brow at her. "I seem to recall you listening to most of my phone conversations, whether it be Kalos or not."

She opened her mouth to retort, but then snapped her jaw closed. Whenever he had to pick up a phone call, she almost always stayed by him. _And being nosy comes to bite me._

"Fine," she nonchalantly shrugged and then answered the call. "Hey May, is this about the thing?"

_"Good morning to you too," _Leon could faintly hear May respond back. _"And what thing? There's like a ton of 'things' to check on."_

"You know, the thing inside."

_"…Leon's listening, isn't he? Just walk away somewhere!"_

Sora squirmed as his nose tickled a sensitive area. She tried to move, but his arms stayed around her waist. "That's a negative, Captain."

_"This is the last time I try to plan secret things with you!"_

"It's not my fault!"

Leon moved his mouth to the speaker. "I know about the dinner by the bay. You may speak freely."

_"Wha- Sora, you nimrod!"_

"Again, not my fault! I told you he was coming back last night but someone wanted to keep talking!"

_"You're the one that wanted to do this over the phone!"_

As the argument continued, Leon nipped her nose and then withdrew his arms. "I need to get dressed. We'll head to the trapeze for a bit and then your plans may commence."

"Ok."

He walked back upstairs. Sora grumbled in the phone until she heard the bedroom door close.

_"…Is he gone now?"_

"Yeah, but he changes fast." Sora covered the mouth piece of the phone in case he could still hear. "Is Phase 1 set?"

_"Of course it is. Who do you think you're talking to?"_

Sora grinned. She was glad a part of it was still a secret.

SL

"Where are we?" Leon murmured from the back of the cab.

Sora had initially wanted to drive them to the location, but Leon said the car needed to be check. In reality the car was fine; however, he wasn't willing to be a victim to her rusty driving skills again. In the near future he will provide her with lessons, but for now a cab will do.

"We're in a parking lot."

Leon rolled his eyes, but Sora couldn't see it behind the blindfold. She had insisted on it in order to keep up with the surprise element. He was aware of the dinner, though, it was hardly time for that so he did not know where they were currently.

He did hear a lot of rumbling sounds.

"A lot of cars," he surmised out loud.

"Yep," Sora smiled as the cab stopped. She paid the man and then tugged on Leon's arm so he would follow her. He blindly did so, really having no other option. She positioned him to see the front of the place and then, filled with giddy energy, she whipped the blindfold off. "Ta-da!"

Leon felt her tug some strands of hair along with the blindfold, but the slight sting was pushed aside for what stood in front of him. He eyed the checkered flag on the front of the building with blaring red letters naming the place.

"We're racing."

"Yes!" she clapped in excitement. "The owner's a huge fan of us so he's letting us use a track to ourselves for an hour!" Sora looked at her wristwatch. "Which will be in five minutes!"

Sora looped her arm through his.

He eyed her still braced foot. _I suppose we'll be in one car._ That made sense, especially with her lack of driving skills. He couldn't imagine her behind the wheel of a super-fast vehicle with no speeding limits.

He walked forward without her tugging, some small kernel of anticipation building inside him.

SL

Once they got to the track the kernel of excitement shriveled into dread.

"I do not think you should be driving yet," Leon said as Sora looked at the cars.

"What!" She shouted over the roaring of the engines. "You're too nervous to drive?"

"No," he raised his voice and lifted his arm out of his blue racecar. "_You_ shouldn't be driving."

"I didn't plan for diving!" She plopped herself into the red racecar. "Next year we can scuba dive, I promise!"

He pinched the bridge of his nose. Why did he even bother?

"Here!" Sora tossed him an extra hair tie from her wrist. "So you don't lose your head!"

He caught it and watched as she put her hair into a messy bun. He sighed to himself, gathered his long hair into a ponytail and then folded the hair over to make the tail shorter. An attendant came over and gave Sora a helmet and then Leon. Strapped and visors down, the attendant stood in front of them with a checkered flag.

Sora lifted her visor, waving her hand to get Leon's attention. "Loser has to do laundry!"

A loud voice counted down the seconds. Leon gave her a nod and she grinned, then snapped her visor back down.

The flag went down. Both cars shot forward with alarming speed.

SL

Back in the cab, Sora continued to laugh.

"The look on your face when I passed you for that last turn," she halted to get some air and then wheezed out, "priceless!"

"You cheated," he flatly stated, his arms crossed.

"Is the wittle birthday boy pouting?" Sora cooed, lightly pinching his cheek. "Don't cry. It's ok. Everyone loses once in a while."

He lightly pushed her hand away. The action only made her laugh even more.

"Maybe I should have lost to you."

"Don't you dare," he rumbled. Getting a pity win would have been an even worse defeat. "Besides," he leaned forward with a mischievous gleam in his eyes, "you still owe me a task."

"Task? What task?"

"When I was in France the first time this year. We had a bet about what you were making for breakfast." He grinned at her, lightly gripping her chin. "You said you'd make me the meal along with one condition of mine."

She blinked as the conversation from months ago slowly came back. "That sounds kind of familiar, but why bring it up now?"

His grin turned roguish. "I think you're ready for my condition."

He leaned over more to whisper in her ear. Her face slowly bloomed with red.

"Why would you want that?!"

He gave her a half shrug. "It's my win."

She sputtered a little, the red deepening as his eyes lidded.

"I'll let you choose which day," he offered.

She slapped her hands over her flaming cheeks, but said nothing else.

A bet was a bet.

"You're still doing laundry," she hotly retorted.

SL

Once they got to the restaurant, Sora's embarrassment ebbed.

She opened the cab door and pulled him out.

"No blindfold this time?"

"Nope!" She smoothed over her dress, the beaded light green and lavender dress swishing a little as she fixed it. She pushed Leon's hair over his shoulder and then straightened his collar. "You ready to eat?"

He gave her a heated look. "How bold of you to offer."

She smacked his shoulder, some pink on her cheeks. She muttered some words in her mother tongue and then looped her arm around his.

"You're lucky I stay," she groused.

"I know," he murmured.

His tone made her look up at him. She gave his arm an affectionate squeeze.

"Come on, I'm starving."

He led her in, though she did all of the talking. They were led to the backroom of this nice restaurant, where the windows overlook the bay.

The server opened the doors with a flourish.

A chorus of voices shouted out, some laughing as well at the slight widening of Leon's eyes.

"Surprise!"

Leon looked down at his wife. He had assumed that it was going to be just her and him; or very little people. Many were here, crammed in this room looking ridiculous with cone party hats under the birthday banner. He'd expect this sort of welcoming for Sora or even May, but for himself…

Never.

Sora smiled warmly. "This year I was able to plan with our Kaleido family."

The word family struck a chord inside him. A memory of his sister came to the front of his mind, one of the many times she was dreaming out loud of what the Angel's Maneuver can achieve.

_"The stage and audience will become one family."_

As Sora led him to the head of the table and people came up to pat him on the back or give him a handshake, he felt something he had not experienced in a long time. It was a feeling he had felt when he was a child and his parents were still around.

Guests gathered at the table and he could almost see little Sophie still in a booster seat next to their mother, and their father offering him the bread basket to pass around. It was an ordinary day, with dinner and some chatter.

So ordinary, yet it felt…complete.

"Bread, Leon?" Rosetta asked.

He slowly took it, the image of his father disappearing. Sora's hand came up to his face. He blinked as he felt her fingers wipe under his left eye.

"It's nice, isn't it?"

He turned to look at her, her smile having a little bit of heartbreak in it. He didn't ask her to elaborate, nor did he try to deny what just occurred. She knew the feeling, having been orphaned and without a family to call her own for a bit.

He simply nodded.

Her hand found his under the table. He only let go to open presents at the end of the night.

SL

That night, as Sora slept by his side, he ran his fingers through her hair.

The day had been unexpected and although he feared for his life on the racetrack, especially with his crazy driving wife cutting in front of him at odd times, he enjoyed it. He pressed a kiss on her forehead, staying there for a while.

"Thank you," he murmured.

She mumbled something in her sleep, his lips tickling her skin. She blearily looked at him with sleepy eyes for a couple of seconds.

"Scuba later, highness," she muttered and then promptly fell asleep again.

He shook his head at her, quietly chuckling to himself as he pulled her into his arms.

SL

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AN: We're close to the last chapters! It's so hard for me to choose what to put and what to leave out! I had a Halloween idea but I feel like it will slow the story unnecessarily. Maybe I can add it at the end as a bonus chapter - it's a short idea_._ Would you like that or just pass on it?

I am determined to keep the number of chapters in the 80s, preferably below 85.

Sorry if you wanted to see the race, but I thought the setup and the results was enough for that.

About the bet when Leon was in France: They made the bet over the phone back in chp 43 I want to say, but not completely sure on the chp number. It's not really vital to the storytelling, but... I still want to put it in there. ; P


	81. Chapter 81

AN: I was going to have this as a sort of montage of time passing, but then decided to focus a little more on the Valentine's Day part. Enjoy! The romance is a little more heavy than other times, just giving a heads up.

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Seasons and holidays passed.

The Oswalds experienced many first holidays together. Leon quickly learned that Halloween in their new neighborhood was more festive than at the apartment. Sora passed out candy by the handfuls as well as signed several autographs – he did as well, thanks to her none too subtle suggestion. Thanksgiving was at Kalos and Sarah's house with the main cast invited.

December came fairly calmly, filled with lights and eggnog. Decorating the house and tree brought Leon old memories, but they didn't sting as much as he thought they would. As Sora loaded the tree with tinsel wearing a goofy reindeer sweater, he could see little hands helping.

He blinked and the image went away, but not the warmth inside.

SL

The New Year's show came.

"Everyone," Sarah loudly boomed after their last show, "gather around, I have an announcement!"

Sora had been gently rolling her ankle as she listened. Leon was next to her, acting as a balance as her free hand steadied herself with his arm. Her foot was much better but every once in a while it got sore.

"Does it hurt?" he murmured quietly.

"Not really. Just need to ice it once we get home."

"First off, let's give May and Rosetta a round of applause!" Sarah clapped by herself for a second and then the others joined in, "their routine was even better than at the Circus Festival! And now let's clap for the whole team!"

"Is there a point to all of this?" May muttered on the other side of Sora.

Sora shrugged. It was anyone's guess what went through the diva's mind.

"Secondly," Sarah grinned at them as she exclaimed, "my cd's coming out!"

"That's amazing!" Sora said to Leon and then turned towards Sarah to repeat the sentiment.

"Finally, Miss Sarah!"

"Way to go!"

Sarah laughed. "Kalos was able to finally work something out with our friend who works with a recording studio. Old crush and jealousy - long story," she waved off the questioning looks, "but now all's good!"

From behind Sarah Kalos raised a brow but did not correct her.

"Alright, so let's get to that after party," Sarah turned around, saw Kalos' pointed look, and then quickly turned back to the slowly vanishing crowd, "oh and I'm most likely pregnant."

People paused as a whole and turned back to the diva nearly together.

"What?!"

"How can that be an afterthought?!" May exclaimed. "That should have been the first announcement!"

Sarah laughed that easy laugh of hers. "I just say it as I remember it."

As people approached both Sarah and Kalos, Sora stayed put. _She's pregnant._ Sora felt happy for her, but a smidgen of envy had sneaked inside as well. She was torn between approaching right now when she might not be all that sincere or just leaving before somebody noticed her mood.

Leon noticed her hesitation but chose not to comment to it directly. He simply grabbed her hand and his thumb rubbed her knuckles.

Her shoulders relaxed a little.

SL

February came.

For Valentine's Day they decided to go out for dinner and then come back home for dessert. Out in the backyard patio, they sat with the fire pit lit and the stars out. Candles were about the place, lighting the walkway and the two memorial candles for their families were lit on a side table.

She now had a new bento box set full of animal shaped fruit and veggie cutters as well as a handbook of lunch creatures. He now had car soap as a gag gift and a pair of cufflinks with silver Pegasus engraved in the metal.

The remains of their chocolate strawberries and angel food cake were off to the side on the floor as well as a nearly empty bottle of wine and two glasses.

Their feet were propped on the outdoor ottoman with a blanket over them. Her painted toes curled a little as he kissed her, his hands ever wandering over her body. Her lashes fluttered as he shifted her more on his lap, making her straddle him. She felt so warm, so restless as he awoke her senses with caresses and kisses.

His hands went further under the blanket.

"We're outside," she half protested as his hands went up her thighs.

"The walls and bushes are high," he murmured against her collarbone and then continued kissing her down the valley of her breasts. "Besides, that's what the blankets are for."

She couldn't bring herself to argue, not when he was making her feel so much. Only he has been able to make her feel so feminine and acutely aware that she was just as warm blooded as he was. Her hands unbuttoned his dress shirt, her fingers idly trailing down one of the thin red stripes on his white shirt.

"I like the way this shirt looks on you," she murmured, her eyes liquid chocolate.

He looked up at her and grinned. "I chose it with you in mind."

She softly laughed and then kissed him, her fingers peeling the shirt completely off. He still had an tank underneath, but the thin material allowed her to feel his muscles better. His eyes were musky like smoke as she touched; his hands traveled up and tugged at her waistband.

He shifted a little under the blanket, watching as her eyes widened a little and then lidded. A breathy sound came out of her lips, then, as he led her into the beginning of that never ending dance of theirs, a moan came out. Her face was flushed, the thrill of making love outside adding a new level of pleasure.

"Leon," she half moaned.

Her hands let go of his shoulders to grip the back of the outdoor couch. His hands on her hips continued to guide her movements, helping her find the friction they both wanted. He groaned as she buried her face against his neck, her whimpers of pleasure egging him on. He moved her head so that she could face him once more. He admired how red her cheeks were and how her eyes were barely open.

He kissed her none too softly; she responded back eagerly.

SL

After a while of relaxation, he carried her back inside.

They didn't complete the stairs before hands started wandering again. They kissed and kissed; he paused at the top of the stairs to push her against the wall. Her bottom lip found its way in his mouth; she breathed hard at the sensual treatment.

He pulled her away from the wall, his hand slipping behind her dress to the zipper.

She unwrapped her legs from around him, letting the dress slip off. He picked her up again, his hands feeling her bare back. Her mouth was attached to his neck, nibbling and kissing.

He laid her on the bed. She kissed him deeply

SL

Her fingers languidly braided a piece of his hair.

He slept peacefully, his face along her neck. She could feel his warm breath as he breathed in and out. Her fingers caught a tangle; he snorted a little and then breathed evenly once more.

She grinned to herself. _And he said he doesn't snore._

He also denied the possibility of having tangles when they were dating. She rolled her eyes. She may be his wife, but that didn't mean she wasn't aware of his eccentric and unbelievable behavior at times. She reached the end of the braid. She sighed and let it go, finding another piece of hair to braid.

Their anniversary was coming meaning they've almost been married for one whole year.

_And still no child. _Her fingers paused as the thought pierced through. She was more than a little disappointed with that fact, but there really wasn't much for her to do. Dr. Kate said they could try some hormones to see if that would help, though it would still take a while to kick in.

She'll give her friend a call. Her fingers continued braiding, letting that concern rest for now. _What to do, where to go? _What do couples usually do for their first anniversary? She looked down at her sleeping husband, thinking, plotting, considering…

A grin broke out on her face.

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AN: So with this chapter, it's one more than I thought there'd be. I'm trying to let the story flow better but also not be longer than it already is. XD I'll let you know when the last chapter is about to come.


	82. Chapter 82

AN: Quick note if people want an idea of time, it's Springtime. So like late March, early April?

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Paperwork waited for no man.

Kalos was well aware of this.

So despite the fact that he spotted Sora waiting in front of his office door with a determined look on her face, he continued on. He had a wife at home that was five months pregnant and having intense food cravings, like strawberry jelly mixed with pickles and salsa.

Whatever Sora had planned couldn't be crazier than Sarah's cravings.

"What brings the Kaleido Star so early in the morning?" He dryly asked.

He smoothly stepped in front of the door. Sora quickly backed up just in time to avoid getting hit by the door. She merely smiled and waltzed right in after the Boss.

"My anniversary's coming up."

"Congratulations," he tonelessly stated as he tried to sort the junk mail from the bills. "Now get out. I have work to do."

"I've been thinking – "

Kalos let out a faint hmph at the idea. Sora brushed it off.

"It's our first anniversary, so that means we should do something memorable. It's a special thing to celebrate and all," she fiddled with her ring as she talked on, "We should probably take a lot of pictures and maybe a video recording – "

"Your point?"

"Ah, well you see I thought traveling would be a good idea! Leon inherited this place last year – well, probably less than a year but who's counting – and I haven't seen it and Leon's only seen photos and reports on it – "

"Sora," Kalos firmly warned.

"We want time off."

"No."

Sora smiled and pulled out something like a card from her pocket. "Actually, yes. See this?" She pointed to his signature at the bottom. "You gave me a 'Vacation Card' for my birthday – the 20th birthday, remember? So like two years ago." She paused to process what she just said. "Gosh, am I really 22 now? Then Leon's a quarter of a century old! Haha! Well anyways, it says that I can redeem this for three weeks of vacation time whenever I want."

Kalos paused in typing something, looked at the card, and then looked back at the screen.

"That's three weeks for you. Leon would have to request his own time off."

Sora's smile stayed. "I'll give Leon one week and he'll just ask for one other week off."

"No."

"Then I'll split my time with him: a week and a half of time off for both of us. It is, after all, my card."

As she leaned over the desk, the corners of her mouth twisted just slightly. Kalos recognized that look. She was going to try to talk him into it, no matter how long it took. He sighed to himself. He really wasn't in the mood for this, especially at this hour. She could talk and talk for hours if she wanted to; she's already talked longer than he had wanted to listen.

He rubbed his temple. He could feel his vein pulsing from the stress of this conversation.

"A week and a half."

She blinked and then her smile grew. "Thanks Boss!"

As she skipped out of his office, he wondered if she had blabbed on and on in some elaborate plan to get him to agree. He scoffed to himself.

She had devil horns, he'd bet the stage on it.

SL

Leon was stretching in the practice room when his wife danced into the room. He paused, not sure if he should trust the words that were going to come out. He was getting the feeling that she had done something risky yet again. There was only one way to find out.

"You're back already?"

"Go ahead and book our flight," came her smug voice, "and I want chocolate in my dessert, Mr. Oswald."

He raised a brow. They had made a bet on whether Kalos would agree or not. He shook his head; he was now going to be making dinner tonight and booking their flight.

"So for two weeks?"

"Erm, no. A week and a half."

He straightened. "The bet was for two weeks' vacation time."

"Hey now, let's not get all technical. A win is a win."

Leon crossed his arms. "You did not fulfill the whole task, making the bet null and void."

"Killjoy," Sora pouted.

"Cheater," he breezily quipped. "We'll eat out."

As they climbed the ladder leading to the trapeze, Sora paused to look down at her husband.

"Leon?"

"Hm?"

"Could you still make me something with chocolate?"

"…White, milk, or dark chocolate?"

She grinned at him. "All three."

He half rolled his eyes. Of course all three.

"I love you," she cooed.

"You love my cooking skills more, I think," he dryly stated.

She looked at him and then smiled. His eyes widened a little as she let go of the ladder and slid down. Quickly, he grabbed her before she dropped past him, his arm like a steel band around her waist.

"What were you thinking?" he scolded.

"I knew you'd catch me."

He frowned. "What if I hadn't?"

Her little trick seemed like harmless fun when it popped in her head, but seeing that dark look in his eyes was enough to make her feel ashamed for putting the fear. She laid a hand on the side of his face.

"I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

He sighed and laid his face against her neck. "You're trouble."

"Then you like trouble," she quipped.

He lifted his head, his eyes calmer than earlier. "Unfortunately, I'm in love."

Her face softened. "That is too bad."

His eyes half closed as she kissed him. The feeling of her body against his, her fingers running along his scalp, and her soft lips on his was starting to awaken his passion for her - passion that really wasn't appropriate for public places. He had a hard enough time keeping his desire for her subdued when she teased him in some way. The longer they kissed, the more likely he was going to try to figure out how to take her while up on the ladder.

He briefly deepened the kiss, indulging in her for a little more before he broke it off. "No more," he murmured his forehead on hers.

Her eyes were a little unfocused, though, she leaned her face up to his, making her lips brush his.

"Continue and I won't stop," he huskily warned, "no matter who walks in."

That stopped her hand along his chest real fast. Her cheeks reddened at the idea of one of her friends coming in while they were in the middle of seducing one another. She knew he'd follow through with it, even if the Boss himself came in.

She awkwardly cleared her throat. "So, um, dinner tonight. You want pizza or something with noodles?"

_Something with you, _he really wanted to say. But he finally got her to stop; he shouldn't start up again. He inwardly smirked. Soon, when they went on vacation, he'd have her to himself. No distractions, no sudden problem that Sora would sneak her way into to help fix, and nothing to stop any seductions.

He could wait until then. Then, he could give her his undivided attention and she could give him her full attention as well.

"When have I ever requested pizza?"

She huffed and then continued on up the ladder. "Not all pizzas are greasy and meaty. There are some good vegetarian ones too, you know."

"I am not vegetarian."

"Oh you know what I mean! There are alternatives for even the most stubborn palates."

"Now I'm stubborn?"

"Among other things," she quipped, "So is that a 'no' to pizza?"

"It's a 'yes'."

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AN: Next chapter should be vacation time! Yay! :D I felt like flow-wise, separating this chapter from the vacation makes it go smoother. Plus, that means an early update since the vacation chapter still needs to be written. But don't worry, the ideas are there. :)

Thanks for the reviews!

17Penny-Lane, I feel like our minds are in sync. ;)


	83. Chapter 83

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Sora was passed out on the plane, her head resting against Leon.

He wished he had that sort of luck.

There were no more first class airplane tickets to France, so they had the regular seating. He really wasn't a snob; he just liked the perks of first class.

Especially the lack of screaming children.

Another child ran down the aisle past him, the boy's fake gun bumping into his elbow. He moved his elbow without looking away from the magazine. Soon, the parent ran past him to grab the child. The four year old screamed and the parent attempted to calm him down with words.

_Like you can reason with small children._

He was tempted to roll his eyes. The only good thing was that a nearby mother had given Leon an extra pair of earplugs. What were once piercing shrieks was now muted down significantly. How Sora could sleep through all of this was beyond him.

He would have to ask her.

The plane jerked a little and the pilot spoke through, telling people to sit down and buckle up. The parent finally just grabbed the kid and went back to their seats. Sora stirred next to him, her sleepy eyes looking up at him. He took out the earplugs.

"We should be landing soon," he murmured.

She frowned a little. "Hang on." His eyes widened as she pulled out her earplugs. "What did you say?"

"You had earplugs?"

"Well yeah. Kids get kind of rowdy on airplanes."

And here he thought she had tuned the kids out.

SL

They finally landed.

Now all they had to do was get their luggage and then go through security. Leon pulled his dark green suitcase off of the conveyer belt. Sora waited for her magenta one patiently. Since her foot was better now Sora suggested taking their own. She was still getting used to sharing one with the opposite sex, plus, she had some items that she didn't want him to see yet.

She smiled to herself.

Then, her smile waned after seeing the same suitcases go past her for the fourth time. She walked to the other side where Leon had found his suitcase.

"I can't find my suitcase."

He gave her a slow blink and then looked at the suitcases. He frowned as it became blaringly obvious that his wife's pink suitcase was not there.

"We'll need to talk to the front desk."

SL

"Belgium!" Sora exclaimed in the rental car. "How could my bag get on a plane to Belgium?!"

Leon turned left. "Welcome to international airports."

She puffed at her bangs. "I've been to international airports before and my bag always followed."

He sighed. First the screaming children and now this. "Once the plane lands they'll send it to us."

"I know, but," she tucked some hair behind her ear, "this trip's special."

He looked at her. Silently, he put his hand on her knee and rubbed his thumb along her knee. Usually, she was the happy-go-lucky sort but even she had limits.

"It still can be."

She looked at his profile, and then placed her hand on his.

"Sorry for being glum." She gathered her energy and smiled. "So where does Aimeric live?"

His cousin invited them to make a stop at his place for a day or two before they went to the chateaux. She was excited to see him again. After all, they were now family.

"His new place is along the French Riviera."

Sora looked around, seeing a lot of houses. "O-k…So where are we going to first?"

He was silent for a moment. She wondered what he was thinking to have him so quiet.

"My early childhood," he murmured.

She stiffened in her seat. Then, she looked outside the window with a new mindset. _This is Leon's old neighborhood._ She imagined a much younger Leon walking along the sidewalk or riding a little bike.

"Where was your house?"

He pulled over, putting the car in park. He gestured with his chin. She looked over at the white house with big rose bushes. A tall tree out in the front yard had her smiling.

"Did you have a swing on that tree?"

He looked at her and then at the tree. "For a while. It broke from overuse."

She laughed. "I guess you've liked swings ever since you were young."

He tilted his head at that. He hadn't really considered that idea before.

"I suppose so."

"Was Sophie born here?"

"Yes." He tapped his finger along the steering wheel. "She liked to climb the tree when she was old enough to reach the branches."

He put the car back into drive. She fiddled with her fingers.

"Did my question upset you?"

"No," he murmured. "There's just more to see."

She settled into her seat as he told her things he could remember.

SL

At the end of the tour, they stopped by a large gated grassy area.

She was about to ask where they were when she saw stone crosses and headstones. Silently, she got out of the car and walked next to Leon. She didn't ask what it was that he had in the small box in his hands, nor did she try to peek inside.

She had a feeling she'd find out soon enough.

Before entering the cemetery, she spotted some wild yellow flowers growing along the gate. She plucked them and then jogged back to Leon's side. She only wished they had stopped somewhere to get proper bouquets of flowers for his family. They stopped in front of three headstones. She bent down and distributed the flowers amongst them.

"It's nice to meet you all," she softly murmured.

After saying a quick prayer in her mother tongue, she stood up and went back to Leon's side. He continued to look at her, appreciation shining in his eyes at her foresight. He had one goal in mind for this visit hence the lack of flowers.

On their death dates he had someone put flowers on their graves since he traveled often. He was certain that her little wild flowers were better than the other bouquets.

"Thank you."

She smiled a little melancholic. "We're all family now."

"Yes," he idly said, "We are." Pause. "Do you remember what I told you the last time we came to France?" When she tilted her head in thought, he added, "When you wanted to sightsee and I told you that I needed to bury the bad memories first?"

She slowly nodded. He lifted the small box up and gestured to the empty lot next to Sophie. She frowned upon seeing a small hole dug up already.

"I asked the groundskeeper to dig it," he explained. "This lot…it was meant for when I passed on." He crouched over the hole, causing Sora to do so as well. "Now it will be the place for the past to rest."

He opened the box. She peered inside, seeing old letters and posters, and other odds and ends. There was something like a list in there as well, written in purple ink and with little stars surrounding the French words for the Angel's Maneuver.

She highly doubted that was Leon's.

"This box holds the past," he murmured as he slipped the lid back on, "as well as the things that cannot come true, but not for lack of trying." He sighed. "The undeniable truth is that the dead cannot return." He looked at his wife, holding the box out to her. "I would like your help in burying this."

"Leon…"

He looked at her watery smile, his heart growing warm when she helped him hold the box. He needed her support in this; he could not let go without knowing that she was with him every step of the way. Together, they lowered the box into the hole. He grabbed some dirt and put it on the box. She followed suit, not caring that her hands were getting dirty.

"The groundskeeper will finish," he murmured.

"Ok."

Before she could stand up, he pulled her into an embrace. She blinked at the tight hold, but then laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around him.

"It's ok to let go," she whispered. "It doesn't mean you're turning your back on them." She closed her eyes as she rubbed his back. "You need to keep growing. They'll understand; they love you."

He let out a shaky breath. She hugged him tighter.

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AN:I thought that emotionally, Leon needed this before he moved on in his life.


	84. Chapter 84

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Leon sat under the umbrella as Sora stood out in the sun.

They've already been staying at Aimeric's place for four days on the French Riviera. Along with Maddie, his cousin was helping them see and experience as much of the area as they could. The duo was currently looking to see if they could rent a boat for the day; the beautiful waters needed to be seen out in the midst of it, not solely from the shore.

Meanwhile, Sora and Leon amused themselves on the beach. He followed the long string from her hands to the sky, her butterfly kite still flying. Sora laughed as she tugged on the kite, making the wings flutter.

"Does it look real?"

His attention was brought back to his wife's form just in time to see the breeze play with the semi-transparent wrap around skirt she had on. Her bikini top was a shade of pink that made him think of a watermelon, especially with her green-yellow skirt.

"If butterflies were the size of small children," he murmured with amusement, "then yes."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Use your imagination, Mr. Literal."

He lowered his book, leveling her with a heated gaze. "You forbade me from using it, remember?"

She blinked at him and then blushed when she understood his meaning. He sat back in his beach chair and picked up his book.

"Your kite's headed for the trees."

"What?" Quickly, she tugged at her kite to flit away, but the wind was picking up. "No," she started running with the kite in the opposite direction to get it away from the trees, however, she could tell she hadn't been quick enough, "No, no, no! Come on kite, work with me!"

The kite twirled and crashed right into the branches.

"No! Why kite?! We were doing so well!"

Uselessly, she tugged on it, but the branches wouldn't let go. Leon saw her walk over to the trees from the corner of his eye, no doubt in an attempt to rescue it. He looked up from his book, assessed the damage, and then he grinned upon seeing Sora's attempts fail. He knew his wife; she was going to come ask for his help. With her bikini she was really in no shape to be climbing a tree.

Sora threw down the wrapped up string. Leon quickly looked back down to his book.

He waited for her to come.

When he had yet to see or hear her, he frowned. _Tell me she's not trying to climb it…_ With a sigh, he put his book down. If she wasn't here then she was half way up the tree already - he knew his wife.

He stood up and froze once he saw the situation. She was a few feet in the tree and a man was looking up her skirt and she was oblivious to it.

He softly cursed. _Of course she wouldn't notice._

Ken had been making goo-goo eyes to her face and she never noticed.

SL

Sora huffed as she climbed the tree.

"Stupid kite," she groused. Of all the places to be stuck it had to be at the very top of the tree. Why there was a tree so close to the sand was beyond her. A palm tree she could understand, but not this kind of tree.

She paused for a second. _Are there palm trees in France?_

A man called out to her in French. She started and then looked down. The man had a speedo on and dark hair. He spoke again and by the inflection at the end of his sentence she took it he had asked her something.

"Ah, _non parlez Francais_," she stumbled out. She was finally taking lessons from Rosetta but she still had a long ways to go before she felt comfortable enough holding a conversation with a native French speaker.

The man laughed. "_Pardon mademoiselle. Parlez vous Anglaise?"_

"Yes, please."

"So polite," the man chuckled. "I was just asking if you need any help."

"Oh, well, I've climbed trees before. So I think I'm – " she paused when she felt the tree shake a little and then the man was up in the tree, "or you can help," she finished quizzically.

"Stay here," the man told her, "and I'll finish climbing, yes?"

Before she could respond, he deftly went up the branches. She blinked at the ease in which the man climbed, making her wonder if he was an acrobat himself.

"What are you doing?"

She looked down and smiled at her husband. "My kite got stuck but then this guy," she pointed up at the climber, "said he could get it." She slipped down the branches, "Heads up."

He caught her when she dropped down. She giggled a little. He shook his head at her delight but then the man came down from the tree, dispelling the amusement.

"Here is your kite, mademoiselle."

"Thanks!" She took it with a smile. She held it up to Leon. "Do you think it'll still fly?"

He looked over the kite. "There are some tears but it should be easy to fix." He then stepped around Sora and extended a hand to the helper. "_Thank you, monsieur_…"

"_Frederick,_" the man filled in as he took Leon's hand, "_and you are_…"

"_Her husband_."

Frederick's smile twitched, "_That is surely not your name, is it?"_

_"…Leon."_

_"A pleasure, Monsieur Leon,"_ he turned to the redhead and switched to English, "It was enchanting meeting you, _Madame_…"

"Sora," she supplied. "Thanks again!"

The men let go of their tight handshake and then turned around in opposite directions, Leon's hand taking Sora's shoulder and leading her back to their umbrella. She talked about what she would probably need to fix the kite; he listened with half an ear.

_Ass_, went through Leon's and Frederick's minds.

SL

It was nighttime and they were all back at Aimeric's place.

Maddie helped Sora do her hair as they talked.

"So how does this boat ride work?" Sora asked.

"It's more like a cruise ship," Maddie tucked the end of the braid under the bun and then pinned it with some bobby pins, "except it's only for one night and then it comes back to shore in the afternoon." She picked up two combs and looked at Sora through the mirror. "Flowers or butterflies?"

Sora smiled. "Butterflies."

Maddie slid the comb on the side of Sora's bun. "Perfection."

Sora laughed. "Ok, now it's your turn."

They switched positions.

"Keep it mostly down," Maddie instructed, "otherwise have fun."

"Alright," Sora giggled.

Maddie smiled. "There'll be a live band playing, dancing all night, swimming in the pool if you want, play blackjack, go shopping…" she waved her hand, "So many other things. I've heard that the food itself is worth the ride."

"That sounds wonderful." Sora twisted the dark curly hair and then put the comb through. "The only boat-like things I've been on were during stormy waters for practice."

"You practiced out in the middle of a storm?"

"Yep," she tucked some pearl pins in the twist, "once with Layla and the other time with Leon."

"…You acrobats are crazy."

Sora grinned. "It's scary at first but then after a while, it's exhilarating."

"I'll keep my chocolate shop and simply take your word for it."

"Deal. By the way, how is your shop doing? Leon said Aimeric was helping you get it started."

"It was pretty slow in the beginning," Maddie huffed, "but then some friends of ours wanted some chocolates for Valentine's Day. Then those friends recommended the shop to their friends and family and they told their friends and voila!" She smiled big. "We're getting regulars."

"Got any secret ingredients?"

"Drugs. It's why they keep coming."

Sora's jaw fell open. Maddie saw it and laughed.

"I tease, my friend!" Maddie shook her head. "Take that as a lesson: never ask a chocolatier about her recipes."

A knock sounded on the door.

Both women answered simultaneously, "Yes?"

"Er, sorry to disturb but the ship will be leaving soon," Aimeric's voice could be heard beyond the door. "So, um, would it be possible that you two can be done before then? Unless, of course, you need more time –"

Leon neatly pushed his cousin to the side. "We're leaving in five minutes."

"Ok," came Sora's voice.

Aimeric blinked at Leon's retreating form and then he scurried after him. "Cousin Leon, may I ask you something?"

Leon tilted his head towards him.

"I uh, couldn't help but notice how you seem to know how to deal with situations," Aimeric played with a box in his pocket as he talked, "I thought my lack of confidence came from my weight problem and now that I lost a good amount, I can see that it wasn't that, at least not completely."

"You are courting Madeline, correct?"

"Yes, but she was the one to ask me out."

"…You want to propose," Leon surmised.

"How did you do it?" Aimeric eagerly asked. "I've been practicing in the mirror but that just makes things worse!"

Leon put his hands on his cousin's shoulders. "Here is one thing you must understand. Whatever you have planned to say, no matter how long you've practiced the words," Leon murmured with some humor, "most likely that is _not_ what is going to come out."

"Wha - Then how –"

"However," Leon continued, making Aimeric close his mouth, "what you feel will come out, even if it takes you more or less words than you had planned." He moved a hand off of Aimeric's shoulder to lightly tap two fingers where his heart is. "Make sure you understand what you are feeling before you ask."

Aimeric slowly nodded. Leon let go of his shoulder and then went into his room to get the suitcase of overnight clothes and toiletries. Aimeric stayed standing where Leon had left him.

His cousin, the cold God of Death, just told him to listen to his heart.

_I think I'm in the Twilight Zone._

SL

Once they boarded and put their bags in their rooms, they went down to the dining level of the cruise ship.

"Leon," Sora half whispered for the fifth time, "do you see the lanterns? They're little stars!"

"So they are."

"Can we get some?" She continued talking as he pulled out her chair. "They'll look great on next year's Christmas tree. Oh and they'd be good for birthday parties too or just the bedroom for the kids." She ducked her head shyly. "Once we have kids, I mean."

"We can look for them," Leon murmured.

She smiled and then took his hand. "I wonder if they only come in white."

Leon gave a little smile back.

Next to them, Aimeric and Maddie sat in their own two person table, just like Leon and Sora's. For what Aimeric had planned, Leon figured that they should split the dinner tables tonight. His mood soured upon seeing the man from the beach take a seat at the table behind Sora.

_Frederick. _Should he switch seats with Sora or just leave it be?

"What's this?" Sora asked with her menu already turned towards him. "The item second to last."

"Cow's brains."

"Har har. I'm busting a gut."

He quirked a brow in amusement. "It's considered a delicacy."

She scrunched her nose. "Who said it was?"

"Food critics. Chefs. High end diners."

"O-k," she sighed, "I think I'm going with seafood. Oo, they have calamari appetizers. And caviar."

"You'll eat octopus tentacles and fish eggs but not brains?"

She pursed her lips. "Are you trying to pick a fight with me?"

"Depends on the setting," he roguishly grinned.

Her cheeks tinted. He preened at the coloring.

"I'll deal with you later," she bit out, seeing their server coming.

"Please do."

She eeped as his foot nudged hers.

"_Good evening Monsieur and Madame. What can I get for you tonight?"_

Leon felt her foot nudge back. He trapped her foot with his feet, causing her to squirm a little in her seat. "_We'll start with a bottle of pinot noir and calamari."_

_"Very good. Are you ready to order the main course?"_

"Are you ready to order?" Leon translated for Sora.

She tried to free her foot without shooting him a glare. "Anything salmon for me, _dear_."

Leon was hard pressed not to laugh.

SL

A little wine helped her forget that she was upset with him for the foot incident.

She was feeding him some crème brûlée when she heard Maddie loudly exclaim something in French. She looked over and her eyes widened upon seeing Aimeric taking a knee, a diamond ring sitting in the middle of their chocolate cake dessert.

"He's proposing," she breathed. "Leon, he's proposing!"

He faintly smiled at her. She blinked upon realizing that he didn't look surprised.

"You knew he would." She smiled very widely at him. "And you didn't say anything you rascal!"

"Why ruin the surprise?"

She laughed and then pulled his collar as she leaned over the table, intent on giving him a kiss. Her lips barely brushed his when somebody bumped into her chair and made her lose her balance. She eeped a little, quickly grabbing Leon's forearms as he steadied her by the shoulders.

"_Pardon, Madame…" _Frederick trailed off upon seeing Sora's dress hitched up in the back as she leaned over. The mauve colored dress looked splendid against her tanned skin. He adjusted his tie a little, feeling warm. "_Madame Sora, Monsieur Leon. _What a surprise, eh?"

Sora finally straightened up, much to Frederick's disappointment.

"Oh Frederick. Have you been here this whole time?" she lightly laughed. "I didn't notice you."

He kept his smile on, though he felt slighted by her words. She didn't notice him? He, the son and heir of the Giroux name, plus incredible swimmer for his team?

"No worries," he murmured.

SL

When Leon had to use the restroom, Frederick came back to her table.

Sora had been watching Aimeric and Maddie on the dance floor, thinking about asking Leon to dance when he came back. She blinked upon seeing Frederick sit where Leon had with some champagne glasses in his hands. The pink-ish liquid bubbled in his hands as he placed one down on the table, leaving two in his hands.

"Tonight is such a wonderful night. Why not live a little?"

"Why thanks Frederick!" Sora made to take a glass.

She frowned a little when Frederick stuck one of the glasses out for her when she was already reaching for the other. _How weird. _Maybe there was some etiquette rule about handing glasses instead of taking them? She hoped she didn't offend.

"To a glorious night," Frederick murmured, tapping his glass with Sora.

She blinked at the toast but then shrugged, repeating the toast. She took a sip, her tongue coming out a little as she tasted something strange on her lips.

"I've not had pink champagne before."

"Well now you have."

He sat back comfortably, taking a long drink of his glass. She took another drink, the bubbles tickling her nose.

"How do you like the cruise so far?"

"It's really nice," she smiled, taking another sip, "I didn't think it would be like this." Her nose scrunched a little, "Though, I can't say the same for the pink champagne."

He laughed. "It's an acquired taste."

She blinked as her head swayed a little. "I'm…dizzy." She got to her feet and had to put her hands out on the table to steady herself. "I need some air."

"Let me escort you."

"But Leon –"

"We'll be back soon, I promise."

He offered his arm. She hesitated, tried to look around for Leon but he wasn't nearby. Her face felt flushed and suddenly the room was too crowded.

"Just for a minute," she murmured, finally taking his arm.

They stepped outside and she let go of his arm, immediately grabbing the railing. The cool air felt great but her hands were clammy. She breathed in and out, resting her forehead on the cool railing.

"You're Asian, aren't you?"

She blinked hard. The floor looked really wobbly.

"Japanese," she slowly replied. "Why?"

Frederick shrugged as he looked around. "Just noting." He took his hands out of his pockets and stood directly next to her. "Can't say I've had a red headed Japanese woman before."

Her breath stilled; her eyes were wide. She lifted her head slightly, seeing Frederick looking her over. She had seen that look before and it chilled her insides, realizing where she had seen that glean from.

_James Tyler. _Her stalker.

His hand went around her waist. She flinched and turned around to take a swing at him. He dodged with a laugh and then quickly pinned her arms to her side.

"Feisty," he complimented.

Her breathing was erratic. _No. Not again. _She had nightmares about Tyler sneaking into her bedroom or what could have happened if she hadn't managed to knock him out with her crutches. Wasn't this over with already? Hadn't she suffered long enough?

_I have, _she decided.

Last time, she had been injured. This time, she has the function of her limbs. Though, her brain was pretty much stuck on a merry-go-round.

_Muscle memory. Instincts._

Her lessons from Sarah will come in handy tonight.

She closed her eyes to stop her head from spinning. Then, just as Frederick started relaxing, thinking that she wasn't going to fight anymore, she threw her head back, smashing his nose. When her arm was loose, she elbowed him and pitched forward. Frederick fell against the railing as she hit the wall off balanced, but at least she wasn't stuck with his arms about her.

"My nose," Frederick wiped some blood on his sleeve, "you hurt my nice nose!"

Frederick made to approach, but she lifted a hand up to stop him.

"I'm gonna puke," she bemoaned.

He frowned at her warning and then scoffed. "That's not going to work." He approached, thinking that she was saying anything to try to make him lose interest.

She bent forward and threw up.

He yelped as it went all over his shoes.

SL

Leon got out of the bathroom and frowned upon seeing the champagne glasses.

He didn't order any champagne.

He stood up and went to look for his cousin. The newly engaged couple was slow dancing when he approached, Maddie's head resting peacefully on Aimeric's shoulder.

"Have you seen Sora?"

Aimeric blinked. "She went outside just a short while ago."

Leon narrowed his eyes, thinking about the champagne glasses. He looked back at the table where Frederick was and frowned upon seeing him without his group.

"Thanks."

He quickly went outside. He had a bad feeling about the guy ever since he saw him on the beach. His wife's disappearance was twisting his insides at the thought of what could have transpired in the couple of minutes he was in the restroom.

He slid the outside doors open, one foot out.

Then, he quickly put his foot back inside, seeing something slimy on the floor.

"Someone puked," one of the two ladies said near the railing.

"I see that," Leon dryly bit out. "Have you seen a woman with red hair and a butterfly comb in her bun?"

"Oh honey, she was the one that puked, poor thing." The lady took a drink of her martini, "She's over by the pool now."

Leon took a big step outside, avoiding the mess, and then jogged over to the pool area. On the way over, he had to sidestep the staff running in the direction he came from.

They were probably sent to clean the mess.

He got to the pool area and his jaw almost fell open. His wife's mauve dress was on a beach chair nearby while she was sitting inside the pool steps in her underwear.

Thank God no one else was around.

He kneeled next to her head. Her eyes were closed and her head was lolled to the side. Lightly, he tapped her cheek, getting her to open her eyes. "Sora, wake up."

She groaned a little, half opening her eyes. He frowned at how dilated her pupils were.

"Look at me, _mon coeur,"_ he quietly said. "What's the matter?"

"Drank somethin' funny," she muttered. "Got super hot."

"The champagne?"

"Uh huh."

He heard voices behind him. They weren't at the pool area yet, but they were coming this way.

"Let's go."

He pulled off his dinner coat and lifted her out of the water. Quickly, he wrapped her in the coat and then carried her, pausing to get her dress from the chair.

Her eyes closed again, her head falling on his shoulder.

SL

When she came to, she was in the bathtub.

Leon's hand ran through her now loose hair.

"Doctor said you threw up most of it," he murmured, "but some might still be in your system."

"Frederick," she murmured.

His hand paused in her hair. "He did this?"

She tiredly nodded. He placed his hand along her forehead, feeling that she was no longer burning. He pulled her out of the water and grabbed a towel.

As he dried her and placed her in a robe, she felt her eyelids drooping again. He placed a cup of mouthwash to her lips.

"Rinse."

She rinsed her mouth and then spit.

There was more movement and then she was suddenly on the bed, his forehead against hers.

"Rest," he said.

Then he left, locking the door.

SL

In the early morning she stirred, fully awake.

She felt Leon's sure arm around her waist and his breath along her cheek. She turned to him, frowning when she saw his split lip. Her hand felt bandages on his hand, no doubt having cracked the skin of his knuckles from a punch or two.

"You got in a fight," she sighed.

"Yes," he murmured.

"I don't like fighting."

He held her closer. "I saw what you did to his nose."

The room was quiet.

"I know what it means," she said after a while of silence.

"What?" he murmured.

"_Mon coeur_."

"Then you know why I did what I did."

"...I guess I can let it go," she whispered, "Just this once."

He kissed her despite his lip. Then, he closed his eyes, feeling a sense of satisfaction when she wrapped her arm around him and put her head over his heart.

"I heard," he quietly said as they rested, "that someone saw him running away after you threw up. Is that true?"

She gave a little grin. "Like a boy afraid of cooties."

He shook his head at the scenario. Only his wife could gross someone out at the right moment.

SL

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AN: So this chapter took a turn I didn't foresee, but I kept it anyways. It's kind of what Leon wanted to do to Tyler if he had gotten the chance and Sora's reaction to Leon getting vengeance. Is she strictly 'no fighting' or are there loopholes? That's what was going through my mind for the latter half of this chapter.

Ok, so next chapter should be a wrap up of their vacation along with something else. Then, maybe one or two more chapters after that and we're finished!

Side note: In case it wasn't clear enough, Sora took self defense from Sarah after the Tyler incident. I know I didn't write about that so don't worry if the quick little sentence I had there confused you. I just didn't see where I could put her learning it without breaking the flow of the story.


	85. Chapter 85

AN: Another chapter soon after the last!

Love is in the air as the Oswalds move the vacation to a more private location. ;)

SL

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Green all around and speckles of purples and reds.

The vineyards of Bordeaux were easily winning her over.

"Beautiful," she breathed out.

She stuck her arms out and twirled, laughing out of joy. This place was theirs to enjoy; she couldn't wait to explore every inch of this land. She spotted silver in her spinning view. She slowed down and then let herself fall backwards. Leon caught her and she smiled up at him.

"Hi."

"Hello." He straightened her up. "Would you like to come inside?"

"I guess," she coyly grinned.

She started walking before him, taking her sweet time. She happily shrieked when he came behind her and lifted her off of her feet, carrying her over his shoulder.

"Still a caveman, I see."

He lightly smacked her rear. She yelped at the playful tap.

When they reached the separate building from the main winery, he adjusted his hold and carried her properly. He kicked the partly open door, letting it swing all the way open. She giggled as he carried her inside. She had been asleep when he carried her into their apartment on their wedding night. Getting to experience 'bridal style' carrying was making her giddy.

"This is the owner's living quarters," he said as he turned around, letting her see the place. "It's now ours, seeing as we own this chateaux."

"Makes sense."

He went up the short stairs, still carrying her. She looked at the vines painted on the walls, loving the splash of maroon grapes every so often.

"This is the hallway."

"Ah."

He kicked another door open. "That's the bathroom."

She bit her lip at his playfulness.

A smaller door was opened. "Linen closet."

"It'll be where you sleep if you go any slower."

He nipped her nose, causing her to squeak. "Don't interrupt. I'm giving you a tour." He walked slowly to the last door at the end of the hall. "There's a small kitchen downstairs as well as a sitting area. Washer's in the small garage but the dryer's out of order; however, I have ordered a new one. For now, I am told that the laundry line is still standing."

She felt like her face was going to split in two. Who knew he could be so chatty?

"The vineyard's the largest portion of the property as you saw on the drive." He shifted his grip on her in order to turn the door knob. "And this," he rumbled out, keeping his eyes on her, "is our bedroom."

The door swung open and she gasped.

The sheets were a dark red color with gold embroidered vines, matching the two decorative pillows on the bed. The rest of the pillows were gold and dark red satin. He put her on her feet. She kicked off her sandals and her toes wiggled in the soft carpet. She walked over to one of the windows and saw a balcony with an outdoor lounger.

"This is like a getaway room at a fancy hotel," she said in awe. She turned to him. "You've been using your imagination," she playfully chided.

"Yes." He walked to her, bringing his arms around her, "May I continue using it?"

She giggled as he kissed her neck. "I guess you could, if you want to."

"I very much want to."

Her cheeks flushed. She wanted him to, truth be told. But she wasn't about to tell him that and inflate his ego even more. She looked around the room once more. It was beautifully charming: elegant, stylish, and sultry.

"Is this really ours?"

He slid his hands under her shirt. "Only for us."

She slipped out of his arms with a playful smile.

She felt sensual and flirty even though she knew she wasn't. It was like she was transformed into a new being by standing in this room. She watched him slip off his shoes and unbuttoned his shirt some. She walked over to the bed without taking her eyes off of him. He followed slowly, languidly, knowing that she was enjoying this as much as he was.

She felt the edge of the bed.

With an impulsive thought, she put her hands on his shoulders and fell backwards, taking him with her. She softly gasped as they landed on the bed. It was plush and comfy, the covers and mattress morphing to take their shape. She felt like she could stay in bed for a really long time and not be antsy to get off of it.

"Nice bed."

He gave her a half smirk. "I thought you'd like it."

She lifted her head to kiss him. Without breaking the kiss he unzipped her light jacket, lifted her up a little to remove it, and then he pushed her shirt up, doing the same thing he did with the jacket. He unzipped her shorts and she lifted herself this time, helping him.

He pulled away from her lips to slip off his shirt and then bent over her a little, letting the tips of his long hair tickle her stomach.

He was graceful. Smooth. Sexy.

And hers.

She lifted her hands to touch his face, and then drifted down his chest. As she ghosted his abs, she watched his grey eyes lid in pleasure. He leaned over her once more, kissing her. She mewled as his hands cupped her bra.

She kissed him hard. He grunted a little, his split lip still healing.

She quickly broke off the kiss. "Sorry. Maybe we shouldn't-"

"It's fine." He kissed her lightly. "Just be gentle for now."

She shivered hard as his chuckle rumbled against her. He deeply kissed her, his tongue brushing against hers. She kissed back softly, trying not to aggravate his lip injury.

He flipped them over and his hands went everywhere, stroking her soft skin.

SL

Sora was up before him, making breakfast.

She made a big cheese omelet for two and some sausages cut like octopi. She still owed him a meal for a bet plus his one condition: he wanted it served with her in his dress shirt. She flushed a little at her husband's boldness.

_He wanted this long before we were married. _

They were at least engaged when he had made this request, but even so, she could see why he held off telling her the condition until they were comfortable in their relationship. She's worn his shirts before, but never one of his collared ones. It seemed more intimate to do than just a plain t-shirt.

"Ok," she turned off the stove and hung the apron.

She already picked out a dress shirt and brought it with her when she came down to cook. Odds were the smell of food would wake him up so she wanted to be dressed when she came back up. She walked over to the living room where the dress shirt hung on the back of a chair. She put the tray of food and coffee down, took a breath in, and then undid her robe. Quickly, she slipped the dress shirt on before she changed her mind.

Tray in hand, she walked up the stairs.

SL

He smelled the coffee before the food.

_It's been a while since I've had coffee._ His wife liked tea so he had been drinking that instead lately. He rolled onto his back and rubbed his face a little, trying to wake up. He opened his eyes, hearing his wife's soft steps as she entered their room.

"Good morning sleepyhead."

He blinked once. Twice.

She was still wearing his black silk dress shirt. _Dear God. _

With her hair up in a messy bun and only a couple of the middle buttons done, he felt the heat of desire run fast in his blood. She walked slowly into the room, swaying her hips a little and making the open bottom part of the shirt drift open and reveal a lacy pair of cream lingerie.

"Do you know what you're doing to me?" he huskily murmured when she was by his side.

She let loose a coy smile with flushed cheeks. "Maybe."

She put the tray down on the side table, offering him the mug of coffee. He took it, drank it even though it was still hot, and then put the mug down himself.

He pulled her down to the bed. She let out a little shriek of surprise.

SL

He buttoned up the black dress shirt. "Could you hand me my pants?"

She was wrapped up in a sheet over by the closet. "Blue, grey, or black?"

"You choose."

She picked out the blue jeans and tossed them on the bed. He slipped them on and then turned to see her in a slip, the sheet back on the bed. She picked out a casual sundress and draped it over her body.

"I think I gained more weight."

He walked over and placed his hands over her stomach. "You're fine, _mon coeur."_ He grinned and then kissed her cheek. "There's just more to love."

She made to hit his shoulder but he was already out of reach. "Yeah, you run away," she muttered, putting the dress back into the closet.

"I'm sure that dress will fit," he said.

Before she could comment, his cell phone went off.

"It might be the wine tasting reservation for this afternoon."

He went over and answered the phone. He answered in French; she tuned out the conversation. With a sigh, she picked the sundress and draped it over herself again. As she hummed and hawed over it, there was a loud clatter over where Leon was. She looked over to see him picking his cell phone up.

_He dropped it?_

She'd never seen him drop it before. She giggled at his clumsiness.

"I think it'll work," she murmured to herself. She took the dress off of the hanger and then slipped it on over her head. Her lips pursed a little seeing some of her stomach fat stick out. She turned this way and that, looking at herself in the mirror. She felt Leon approach. "Is the fat noticeable to you?"

He blinked, as if coming out of a daze. "Fat?"

"Yeah, the 'more to love' part as you so delicately put it."

"Sora."

"Yes?"

"When was your last menstrual cycle?"

"…What's wrong with you?"

"Why do you think something is wrong with me?" he tilted his head in confusion.

"You're asking about my period. Even I know guys don't really want to know about a girl's period!"

"That wasn't the reservation. It was the doctor you saw after the cruise ship." Leon grasped her hands. "Sora, he thinks you're pregnant."

"What?"

"He checked twice, but he will have another doctor run the test a third to be sure. However…"

"Then," she looked down at herself, seeing her stomach, "this 'fat' is really a very small baby bump?"

Leon smiled. "Most likely."

She started hyperventilating.

Alarmed, Leon helped her over to the bed.

"A baby…" she panted, "I'm, there's a baby there. Leon!" she gripped his arm tightly, "I've been drinking wine and champagne and eating fish…" her eyes were wide and glossy, "Fish, Leon, fish! You're not supposed to do that when you're pregnant! _Kami_! There's mercury in fish and who knows what else!"

"Sora," he cupped her face, making sure they were face to face, "you need to calm down."

"But I can't!" she cried. "I lost the last one!" Tears streamed down her cheeks. "What if I lose this one too?" She trembled a little, her emotions getting the better of her. "I can't stand the thought of it…"

"Remember what I said," he murmured as he brushed the bangs from her eyes, "we'll face this together." He kissed her forehead and then placed his cheek on it, "So stop thinking that you're alone."

She cried a little more on his shoulder before she stopped trembling.

"I love you," she murmured.

He brushed his hand against her cheek. "I love you too."

"I mean it," she whispered, lifting her head from his shoulder. "I love you. So much."

"And I suppose I don't mean it as well?" he bemusedly asked.

She cracked a smile and he felt better, knowing that his words got through to her.

"I guess we'll have to cancel the wine tasting," she sighed. "And I was really looking forward to it."

He quirked a brow. "Can't you still do it?"

"Leon. No wine, remember?"

"You don't drink the wine. You only taste it and then spit it out."

"…Oh."

He shook his head at her. It would explain her lack of inhibitions yesterday.

SL

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AN: "About time!" I know, I know. XD But it would seem too flat if they had a baby with no hiccups. I wanted it to feel real but still have a bit of dramatic flair, you know?

I love dramas. Not in real life though. XD


	86. Chapter 86

AN: Ready for the first trimester fun? I know Leon isn't. Haha! ;P

SL

SL

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"I'm pregnant."

Kalos paused in typing a message and then gave the redhead an indescribable look and then Leon.

"Congratulations!" Sarah clapped her hands with glee.

The diva was lounging on the office couch, her own pregnant belly quite noticeable. Sarah raised her arms up and Sora walked over to get a hug from her.

"Oh, let me feel!" Sarah cooed, lifting Sora's shirt without waiting for an answer. Sora squeaked a little, putting her hand down to prevent Sarah from lifting it too high. "Not very noticeable yet but don't you worry, you'll swell like you just ate a basketball!"

"Not the best of timing," he sighed as he took his glasses off to clean them. "Mia has a new script idea. Even wrote it with you in mind, Sora."

"Oh…"

Sarah promptly tossed a water bottle at Kalos' head. He swiftly dodged it, not pausing in cleaning his glasses.

"That was really rude, Kalos!"

"I can still train the new recruits," Sora offered guiltily. "And Leon can still perform for a while; just until I need some help around the condo."

"Darling, you have nothing to apologize for," Sarah patted Sora's hand, "don't you worry about the summer performances. I'm sure Mia won't mind not sleeping until she gets a new script idea!"

"…That doesn't make me feel any better."

"Now might be the time to prepare Rosetta and May more," Leon suggested, smoothly sitting down on the chair across Kalos' desk. "I can train them both so that they can take over for the time we need off."

Kalos folded his glasses cleaner cloth and put it back in his desk. "It's sooner than we had anticipated," he murmured, "but now does seem to be the best time."

Leon sat back in his chair. "Sora, you should probably go to the main training room." He turned and looked over at his wife. "This is going to take some time."

"I'll go with you," Sarah cheerfully added, "I need to continue training my own pupils."

"Oh of course," Sora happily chatted as Sarah half wobbled-half walked out of Kalos' office, "any divas-to-be to cover you?"

"All divas, but not quite as talented as they seem, but I have hopes for at least two of them if they sing as a duet…"

The door closed. Kalos put his glasses on.

"How much training will they need?"

SL

The next morning, Sora woke up hungry.

"Leon," she groggily muttered as she nudged his head, "I'm really hungry. Like, 'I was stuck on a deserted island for two months' hungry."

Eyes still closed, he grunted. "What do you want me to bring up?"

"Strawberries…no. That made me sick yesterday," she groaned. "Fi-ish, no. Rats."

"You want rats?"

"Ew Leon, no!"

He smirked. She lightly slapped his arm.

"Oh, I know. Peanut butter and pickles," she hummed.

He wrinkled his nose a little, but wasn't appalled by it. That combo was one of her favorites for some strange reason. She slapped his arm again. He cracked an eye open to look at her.

"Slapping your arm helps me think," she quipped. "I also want curly fries with chicken nuggets…"

The fast food place down the block was open 24/7 so that wouldn't be an issue.

"And eggrolls, but no sweet and sour sauce. I can't stand the smell of the sauce right now."

"…Eggrolls?"

"Yes."

He turned to the nightstand. The clock read 4:32 am.

"I do not think any place with eggrolls is open right now."

"So you won't get it?"

He sighed. "I can check, but I don't think so."

She bit her bottom lip. "Ok. I can understand that."

He got up to change, leaving his sleep pants and just putting a shirt on. When he came back to the bedside table, Sora's face was on his pillow. He frowned when he heard sniffling.

"Are you crying?"

"Yes!" she half sobbed. "I don't understand. Why aren't there any places with eggrolls? I'm not the first pregnant Asian woman in the world, so why aren't there any eggrolls?" She smacked the pillow in frustration, "Besides, not only Asians like eggrolls! There's a ton of pregnant ladies around in Cape Mary that aren't Asian!"

Leon pinched the bridge of his nose for what he was about to say.

"I'll find some."

Her face lit the room up. "Oh thank you Leon!"

She sat up and kissed his face, deeply kissing him when she got to his lips. He could taste her tears shed for the eggrolls. Her hands went under his shirt and he could feel her soft breasts through the thin nightgown. He groaned a little when her leg went around his waist. She was stirring his yearnings fast and strong.

Then suddenly, she let go of him.

He blinked upon seeing his wife get out of bed and flip the lights on so she could head down the stairs. He followed her down, seeing her open the fridge and pull out the jar of pickles and peanut butter from the cabinet. She took a pickle out and just shoved it in the peanut butter.

"Go get my eggrolls," she told him before taking a big bite of the pickle and peanut butter.

"Right," he murmured to himself.

He went back to their bedroom and grabbed his coat, putting his wallet in the pocket. He searched through his phone for any shops open carrying eggrolls. He felt his mood lighten upon seeing a place but then he frowned. It was three cities over and opened at 6 AM. The clock read 4:36 AM.

Like hell he was going to wait that long. _She_ couldn't wait that long, quite frankly.

He formed his plan and then left the house, the cold morning air making him put his collar up.

SL

May awoke to the sound of a pounding on her door.

She groaned and looked at the clock, seeing that it was 4:51 AM. "Somebody better be dying," she darkly muttered as the knocking continued.

She had a scolding ready but it quickly died when she finally saw who was at her door. "Leon? What the hell? It's not even 5AM yet!"

"Can you make eggrolls?"

"What?"

"Sora wanted curly fries, chicken nuggets and eggrolls. I just need the eggrolls and then I can go back to bed."

"I can't even _begin_ to explain how your presence here is so stereotypically racist. Not all Chinese people make eggrolls or even _like _them. It's like if I came to your place for croissants!" she continued to rant with her hands on her hips, "Do you even know how to make croissants, Frenchie?"

Leon crossed his arms. "Can you or not?"

She stared at him for a couple of seconds, seeing the tired sleepy eyes on the normally impeccable form of Leon Oswald. She opened her door some more, letting him in.

"Sleep on the couch while I make them."

He didn't need to be told twice.

SL

At 5: 22 AM, Leon returned.

Sora was now munching on celery dipped in Nutella. He put the bags of food in front of her and she eagerly went for the eggrolls. She unwrapped the foil and took a moment to look at them.

"Where's the sweet and sour sauce?"

Leon lifted his head from the counter. "You said you didn't like the smell."

"Yeah but then I texted you saying that it was soy sauce that I can't stand," she spoke with a little tilt of her head, "Did my text not send?"

He looked at his phone and then dropped his head back on the counter.

"I just saw it right now."

Sora looked at the Nutella and then spooned some on the eggroll. She took an experimental taste, licking her lips as she thought about the flavor.

"This is good. I don't need any sauce."

Leon was already halfway up the stairs. "Good. Now good night."

SL

"I need to use the restroom," she murmured to Leon.

He looked away from the stage where Kalos was giving everyone the breakdown of the next couple of months.

"But you just went ten minutes ago."

"I know," she bit out, "but then I got thirsty so I had some water. Now I have to use the restroom again."

Sora's belly bump was starting to form more now, though not so much through the clothing. Unfortunately, the bigger the baby, the more crammed her bladder got as far as Leon could tell. He stood up and then Sora grabbed his arm as he led her past the people sitting down in the row they were in. Sora had insisted in being in the middle so they could see Kalos better, but for the sake of the rest of the crew, he had a feeling they should have sat on the edge.

But he learned that arguing with her wasn't a good idea.

"Sorry," she murmured once they were out of the stage auditorium.

After watching too many daytime soap operas of pregnant women falling and losing their babies, she became afraid of going down staircases by herself, no matter how many steps it was.

"Don't be. It's an understandable fear."

She pursed her lips. "So my other fears are irrational?"

He looked upwards, wondering why his bad karma was still going.

SL

In the middle of the night, he felt her hands in his hair.

"So soft," he heard her say, "so silky."

He liked these moments. She'd touch his face, his nose, his arms, his hair, even his eyebrows and then she'd quietly tell him how she liked the way he was. He truly did appreciate the calmness of the hormones, but they often happened late at night or early in the morning. He really wished he could stay awake to really enjoy it.

"My mom had silky hair too," she half whispered. "I got dad's wilder hair."

"I like your hair," he murmured, his hand coming up to run through her locks. "It has its own unique softness."

"Really?"

"Yes," he brought some hair to his lips, kissing the tips, "I'll like it even with some grey in it."

"Very funny," she lightly shoved his arm with a smile.

He grabbed her hand, nipping her fingers. She squealed a little, especially when he came over her and started nipping her nose, her cheeks, and her chin. Her squeals morphed when he nipped her lips and then nipped the soft skin behind her ear and along her jaw. Light moans replaced her squeals as she raised her hips up and against him. He kissed her hard, pent up yearning making him thirst for her familiar touch.

She broke the kiss off. He tried to hide the disappointment from his face.

"I want to make love," she quickly breathed out, her hand drifting down his chest, "but can we? I mean, there's already a bun in the oven as Sarah puts it."

He chuckled at her frankness, feeling less upset about her pulling away. He understood that she was pregnant. They both knew this fact, but he couldn't deny that her pulling away earlier felt like a rejection. He was thankful for her clarification.

"Let's find out, shall we?"

He leaned over to grab his phone from the bedside table. When he started typing in something into his phone, she tilted her head quizzically.

"Are you looking online for an answer?"

"Yes," he continued searching, pausing to give her a look, "unless you are willing to wait for morning to ask Dr. Kate?"

As predicted, her cheeks turned red.

"So, a-hem, what does the internet say?"

"I've checked several, just to be sure…" he turned to her, "you said you are not opposed to making love?"

Her face flushed. "I'm not, but how does that answer –"

Her words were lost into his kiss. She quickly discarded her curiosity in his question, a new hunger for him making her extremely touchy as her hands nearly tore his tank off in the process of removing it from his body.

"Leon," she whispered frantically. "Leon."

Heavens, he loved hearing her say his name. Tonight, he was probably not going to sleep, but he was more than fine with it. May was just probably going to complain when he shows up late in the morning.

"Ah!" she cried out and not in a good way, "Don't touch the breasts. That really hurt."

"I'm sorry," he kissed her cheek apologetically; "I thought I barely touched you."

"I know," she half grimaced, "it's not you, it's me."

He shook his head. "That sounded like a break up."

"Oh _Kami_ no." She kissed his face enthusiastically, "Never."

"Never?"

She wrapped her legs around him. "Never-ever."

"I can live with that," he murmured before he leaned over her again, being mindful of her chest.

SL

SL

SL

AN: Next chapter should be the rest of the pregnancy and Sarah's own bundle of joy.

We are super close to the ending. Brace yourselves! :0

Message to reviewers about the Fool

I will consider having the Fool show up or referenced. But as to my decision to not have him in this story is this: Sora is already the Kaleido Star so she really doesn't need the Fool's guidance anymore to become what she already is. I kind of feel like she graduated from an apprenticeship to being a master of her trade. It's up to her to continue her dream now that she knows what she wants and has the ability to achieve it. Does that make sense?

Well what about Rosetta seeing the Fool?

For me, the focus of the story is on Sora and Leon. The storytelling would take much longer if I added in the Fool and Rosetta's personal journey. That's a whole other story to tell and imagine. I touch on Rosetta growing in this story because I like Rosetta. XD And honestly, someone has to take care of the stage while Sora's pregnant. May needs some help. Even Layla needed a partner to perform at the Kaleido Stage.

Thank you for sharing your concerns and thoughts! I do take them into consideration so please don't feel like I don't read them. :D

For those who like the Fool, I have a plot bunny with him and time traveling, but ultimately revolving around SXL because, let's face it, I like writing for this couple. XD After this story is done I ideally want to work on " Late Bloomer", a Ken and May story.


	87. Chapter 87

AN: This is over 4,000 words. 0_0 I kind of lost track of time as I was typing it. lol! XD

SL

SL

SL

"You're in your second trimester," Dr. Marcy smiled, the Oswald's OB-GYN. She was a good friend of Dr. Kate's with straight black shoulder length hair and hazel eyes.

Sora's barely-there-bump was definitely noticeable now, even through the loose clothing.

"You should be able to hear a heartbeat by now," she addressed to both soon-to-be-parents.

He tilted his head. In all this time, he hadn't really thought about being able to hear the baby. So focused was he in keeping Sora fed and comfortable even though she didn't really show then. The bump was a lot more pronounced. She was definitely pregnant, if anyone had any doubts.

"A heartbeat," Leon murmured. For some reason, it just hit him that there _was _a baby on the way, which meant that in five months, he was going to be a father.

Husband, lover, friend, and now father…

Could he be a father?

Sora started getting teary eyed as she looked at the ultrasound of the coming baby. "Really? That's amazing." She put a hand on her stomach. "A little heartbeat from a teeny little ba –oh! I felt it! Leon, quick, feel it!"

She put his hand on her stomach. He looked at her stomach curiously, waiting to feel what his wife had felt. Both Dr. Marcy and Sora watched his face.

"I don't feel anything."

"What?" Sora let go of Leon's hand to feel for herself. "Huh. I don't either. Is that normal?"

"The baby's fine," Dr. Marcy laughed. "It's just that it's too small for you to feel it constantly right now. Give it some time and you'll even feel the baby kicking once it's bigger." The doctor looked down at her clipboard. "So did you two decide if you want to know the gender earlier on or have it a surprise when it's born?"

Sora looked over at Leon. "We're fine not knowing right now, but, later on, if you can tell with the ultrasound," she lifted up the one the doctor gave her, "that would be great."

"Of course." The doctor smiled. "I can do that."

SL

Back at home, Sora lay on the couch with her head on Leon's lap. She looked at the ultrasound fondly even though her baby still looked like a mutant.

"A little heartbeat…" she smiled and then giggled. "Which do you think it is? A boy or a girl?" Before Leon could answer, she continued on, "We'll have to look at baby names sometime and then of course all the gear for the nursery and a stroller and car seat. Oh and probably a high chair and little sippy cups and bottles." She looked up at Leon. "Which do you think is better: breastfeeding or just bottle recipe?"

He blinked down at her, his eyes roaming over her chest. They seemed to be a little bigger now, especially with the angle in which he was looking.

"I've heard that it's good to begin with breastfeeding," she rambled on, "but I'm sure it gets tiring doing it for every meal. Maybe after half a year or something and then mixed it up with a bottle?"

"Perhaps," he amusedly murmured, "your mother would be a better source for that sort of question."

She blinked at that and then grinned. "So you don't know everything."

"I never claimed to."

"But you act like you do."

He tilted his chin up. "If you can't be confident in yourself, how can you expect others to be confident in you?"

"…I think it'll be a boy." She rubbed a hand on her belly. "It'll be a mini you looking all prideful and tough." She giggled at the mental image.

"Or a tiny chatty girl with her big chatty mother."

"Big?" Her brows furrowed. "Are you calling me fat?"

He gave her a head tilt. "Well, you have gained some mass," he stated in a matter of fact way.

She sat up shakily, her belly making it not a smooth process. "Sorry I can't be a skinny little super model," she spat out, some angry tears in her eyes, "I'm just carrying a baby and all."

"Sora, I'm not saying that you're fat."

She ignored him and went into the kitchen. "If you need me, I'll be shoving some food into my fat, stupid mouth."

Leon rubbed his eyes. He forgot that the doctor warned him about calling out his wife's weight.

SL

Sora was done instructing for the day.

She waited for the class to file out and then she got up from her chair, making sure the back of her big shirt was down over her comfy yoga pants. With a grunt, she bent over to pick up her water bottle and then put her messenger bag full of snacks on her shoulder. She fished out a lemon and smelled it, feeling her nausea subdue to the lemony scent.

She was so glad Sarah told her about this trick.

She slowly walked out of the training room to the cafeteria. Other performers were walking in the same direction, their chatter filling the hallways with life. Some stage crew members were in the process of putting up the coming show's posters everywhere.

When she got to the main lobby, a large group was looking at the huge poster, titled _Snow White and Rose Red. _

May was on the left as Snow White, wearing softer colors of cream, pink, and of course white, with a black sash. Rosetta was on the right as the younger sister, Rose Red – her outfit consisting with mainly different tones of red and some white on the sleeves. It was a tale not as widely known and Mia was eager to adapt it to her script.

In the background was Leon all in white and pure white silks from the aerial silk act wrapped around him, his arms up high above his head, the silk fanning out like wings.

He had told her that he got the nickname 'Pegasus of the Stage' for the silk act he performed when he was younger. He only did it once before throwing all of his resources and energy into finding a partner. But critics and fans that saw that one performance had been captivated by it and the nickname stuck with him.

Leon was cast as the Prince cursed into the form of a Pegasus. Originally, the Prince was a bear, but Mia changed it to match Leon. In the story, the Prince falls in love with Snow White after she and her sister free him from the curse. Anna was cast to be the evil troll that had cursed the Prince. On the poster Anna was dressed in a fake beard and raggedy clothing with an evil grin on her face – she was placed between the sisters and the prince, making her a barrier from the main characters.

"Miss Rosetta looks so adorable!" one of the stage crew members gushed from the huge group looking at the poster. "I'm glad she's getting bigger roles!"

"I've not seen Miss May look so delicate before," another member said in awe.

"Do you think she'll be able to stay in character?"

"It's May Wong! I mean, look at her: creamy skin, long black silky hair, big blue eyes, tiny waist and big hips – I'm surprised Leon never dated her!"

"Shut it, Conroy," someone hissed, "_she's right there_, nimrod."

Sora walked on, pretending she hadn't heard. The crew members relaxed as a whole when she passed by, going out the front doors.

Once she was outside, she bit her lower lip and rubbed her belly in an effort to comfort herself.

SL

She had been napping upstairs when she heard the doorbell.

With a groan, Sora rubbed her eyes. _I hear voices. _She didn't think they were expecting visitors. _Maybe Leon is? _She knew the poor guy was getting some help delivering furniture for the nursery; he said he'd take care of it all and for her not to worry. He was also doing dinner himself since cooking made her nauseous and also cleaning since her legs and back were getting pretty achy. Once in a while, he massaged her back.

She really loved him for being so selfless.

She slapped her cheeks a little in an effort to wake herself up. Then, she sat up and sighed. She had to use the restroom again.

"Ok," she muttered to herself, "alley oop!"

She slowly made her way out of the bedroom and into the short hallway. She was about to enter the bathroom when she realized that it was a female voice and Leon was talking with it. A little bit of jealousy came into her and quietly she walked over to the staircase. She only went down the first two steps and then grabbed the railing in order to lean a little.

Her eyes widened as Leon hugged the female. She couldn't see who it was until they broke apart.

_May?_

She thought it sounded like her friend, but she couldn't fathom why she'd be here at their place, talking to Leon. Unless, of course, the obvious…

The bite of jealousy flared as she remembered what the stage crew guy said about May and Leon. Her friend was conveniently visiting while she was taking a nap?

_I don't think so. _

Then, just as quickly, a huge wave of insecurity and sorrow hit her, making her stomach upset. She abandoned the stairs and rushed to the bathroom, puking into the toilet. _There goes my snack. _She lifted her head a little and then another rush of nausea hit her, making her throw up again. _And there was lunch. _

Why was she in a hurry to get pregnant again?

She stayed over the toilet, seeing if her body was done or not. Soft steps sounded on the bathroom tiled floor. She didn't have to look to know who it was. Leon bent over her, pulling her hair out of the way. She began to cry a little and then hacked into the toilet.

"Does it hurt?" he murmured upon seeing her wet cheeks.

"The acidity," she weakly said.

He hnned and then grabbed some toilet paper to wipe her mouth. She cried harder, making him frown.

"Is this about not having enough eggrolls last night?" he straightened up to get her some mouthwash. "I have more now."

She took the mouthwash and gargled. She spat in the toilet and he flushed it for her.

"I heard May downstairs."

"Yes, she was bringing over the eggrolls."

"She makes them?"

"Yes," he slowly said. "Is that an issue?"

She sat up straight and pushed her hair back over her shoulder. "Should it be?"

He wiped her wet cheeks. "It isn't."

She let him, her eyes closing as she half basked in the attention. She loved him for doing these things, but the thought of him losing interest was enough to make her cry again.

They only hugged for three seconds tops, for crying out loud. So why did it hurt so much?

"Are you attracted to May?"

Leon stopped and slowly blinked at her. "Pardon?"

"Do you like May?" she reiterated, her eyes open and puffy.

"I think you need to lie down some more."

"No," she frowned, frustration leaking into her sorrow, "you need to answer me."

He gave her a flat look. "I have never had a romantic interest in May Wong."

"Don't lie to me, Leon. I saw the way you were with her. You touched her face and got super close to her. She's pretty, I get it."

"When on earth did I do that?"

She pursed her lips. "You liked May first. Anyone could tell, especially when she was your Juliet."

He let the information sink in. "Are you referring to four plus years ago?"

Her lips thin. She gave a tight nod.

Leon ran a tired hand down his face, then back up over and into his hair. He was done with the past but the past wasn't completely done with everyone else.

"I'm a direct sort of person. When I want something done, I ask for it, most often without thinking of repercussions…at least, back then when I didn't care for anyone."

"So what?"

"So," he murmured, gripping her chin in a similar manner he had May in the past, "when I want someone to look at me and pay attention, I make them."

Her cheeks tinted a little, but she pushed down the flustered feeling. "But you do this to me all the time. How is this different than with May?"

"I grab you to kiss you," he murmured, and then leaned down to do just that.

"I only used mouthwash," she sputtered out when he released her lips.

He kissed her again.

Then, he let go of her chin and stood up, bringing her up with him. She held onto his forearms, her forehead resting on his chest.

"I'm sorry. It's just – stupid hormones."

He sighed. "It's alright. I believe I had asked you about Yuri once and you replied, despite my not so sober state over the phone."

"I knew it," she half grinned.

"Knew what?"

"You said you were sober, but I knew you weren't."

He nipped her nose, making her giggle. He made to carry her, but she stopped him, recalling what had brought her to the restroom in the first place.

"I really need to pee."

SL

It was evening and they were walking down the pier overlooking the ocean, hand in hand.

Leon kept his stride short, especially now that Sora's belly was bigger, making her strides even shorter than before because of the added baby weight.

"Dr. Marcy said she could probably tell us the gender the next appointment," she happily said.

He looked over at his wife, seeing a bit of lipstick and eyeliner. The rose hairpin he had given her was in her hair, making him smile.

"That is good news."

She giggled as he pulled her up to him, bringing her hands up to kiss her knuckles.

"Have you enjoyed the evening thus far, Mrs. Oswald?"

"I have," she smiled, her eyes glowing as he kissed up her left arm. "Just a little sad I can't eat fish yet."

"Still hungry?" he teased.

Her lashes fluttered as he pulled her cardigan down a little, his lips brushing her shoulder. "I have a bigger appetite nowadays," she murmured, her eyes lidding as he reached her neck, "but I think you know that already."

"Yes," he rumbled, his teeth brushing her earlobe, "as do I, _mon chaton_."

Her face flushed as he used that pet name. "Even now?"

He ran his hands over her swollen belly and then down her sides, lightly touching the sides of her breasts, giving her a wordless answer. She whimpered a little in pleasure and then tightened her grip on his dress shirt. His eyes widened a little as his pregnant wife pushed him against the wooden light pole and pulled his head down, smashing her lips against his. Her mouth moved frantically, desperately; her hands ran everywhere she could as if she was trying to feel him all at once.

When her hand reached low, he swiftly grabbed it and placed it over his heart.

"Not that I don't appreciate your forwardness," he murmured, softly kissing her lips as he quietly spoke, "but I think we should relocate."

"Home's too far," she half protested.

His eyes half closed as she kissed his chin and jaw, getting whatever she could.

"Who said anything about home?"

SL

Sora followed him with a giggle as they went to their hotel room.

Her husband was being very spontaneous tonight and she loved it. First there was the dinner outing, then the walk along the pier, and now a weekend stay at a hotel by the beach.

"You're secretly a romantic," she cooed.

He gently pulled her into the open doorway and kissed her, making her lean against the frame. She kissed back, her belly brushing against his torso. He lifted her up, her rose printed dress riding up as her legs went around him. She kept her back bent a little so that her belly wasn't pushed against him. He closed the door with a foot while staying lip locked.

He finally put her down on the bed, his nimble fingers already slipping the dress over her head.

His tongue curled along the roof of her mouth, making her moan.

He disconnected from her mouth to lean over to the side table. From the vase of roses, he pulled out a single rose and then leaned over her, making her lie down. He lightly brushed the rose petals against her lips, tickling her.

Her hands already made quick work of his dress shirt and now slowly touched him. He sat up to completely remove the shirt and to push up her slip. Her arms lifted and the material was gone.

Her face flushed anew as he teased her skin with the rose.

SL

It was midday when Sora woke up.

Leon was at her back, his arm around her and his hand on her belly. A cushiony pillow was under her belly, helping her get comfy. She let out a quiet yawn. She hadn't gotten a decent amount of sleep in a long time. _I'm ready for a nap_. Leon's warm body against hers, the soft but firm bed underneath them and his hand stroking her belly were so relaxing, so soothing…

She felt her eyelids droop again.

But then Leon's hand stopped and she felt him twitch.

"Leon? What's –"

"I felt it."

"What?"

"Our baby's heartbeat." His palm lay on her, slowly moving in a small circle. He smiled against her neck. "I can feel the baby moving."

"I'm glad," she whispered.

Whenever she felt it and then put his hand there, the baby was suddenly calm and quiet. She was happy he was able to find it himself. They lay quietly as Leon felt their child.

"…You'll be wonderful."

"Pardon?"

"You've been worrying about whether you'll be a good dad or not," she murmured, her hand stroking his arm, "I've seen you staring at little kids a lot and then frowning."

"How do you know I will be?"

She smiled. "I know."

"That's not a convincing argument."

She giggled and then turned her head a little to nuzzle his face. "You're cute."

He quirked a brow. "I don't think anyone's ever called me that."

"Ah yes. Who would dare to think you're cute and cuddly like a bunny?" she teased. "But you're right. I'm sure peacock fits better."

"You like my looks," he pointed out, his nose running along her cheek. "So what does that say about you?"

"I didn't say I don't like peacocks." She ran her hand through some of his hair.

He tilted her face more towards him. She moved a little, her hand digging in his hair as she kissed him. He inched them back towards the headboard and then lay against the pillows there. She turned herself around and came to him.

He placed her hands on his shoulders and then put his hands on her hips. "I adore you," he murmured, his thumbs rubbing the sides of her stomach, "You and the baby."

"Ditto," she murmured, "my sweet prince."

She kissed him and kissed him, her hands gripping his shoulders and hair as they made love. She needed him because she loved him; and he accepted her even when he couldn't take her as he normally did.

It wasn't an issue of pride or subjugation, but the simple facts that he loved the way her hair splayed out on the mattress and sheets as he made love to her. He missed the way she arched against him and wrapped her legs fully around him and her nails ran down his back and neck. He missed holding her completely against him, her head under his chin and his cheek against her hair.

But he could wait three more months.

For in November their child will be born, if all goes well.

SL

Leon was drying Sora's hair when her phone rang.

She looked at him in the bathroom mirror, comfy robe on while he was still sporting a towel around his torso.

"That's Sarah's caller id."

He paused and then looked down at her. It was August and Sarah had been about a month pregnant when she had made her announcement in January…

"The baby," they said at the same time.

Sora shooed Leon out of the bathroom. He went out to the bedroom to grab the phone. She watched as he spoke softly into it and then he hung up.

"That was Anna. Sarah's water broke."

SL

Sora munched on her fifth granola bar as they waited for news.

Kalos was outside with Leon, taking a cigarette smoke. Leon didn't smoke, but went to give the older man some company. Anna, Mia, Rosetta, and May volunteered to go get some food.

Ken shook his head, lost in thought. "Just like old times, huh?"

Sora looked across from her, seeing Ken leaning forward. "What?"

He looked a little flustered, having her full attention on him. "Oh, I just meant that the last time we were in this scenario it was when we were waiting for your sister to be born."

"Oh yeah. That's right." She smiled. "It was the two of us as well."

"Yeah."

He fell silent. She finished her granola and fished out some eggrolls and Nutella. Ken blinked as she drizzled Nutella on the eggroll and then took a hearty bite out of it.

"That uh, looks…interesting."

"It grossed Leon at first," she said around the food in her mouth, "but I think he's used to it by now." She patted a hand on her belly. "This one really likes Nutella and eggrolls. Funny, considering I didn't really like eggrolls before the pregnancy."

"Really now? I didn't know that."

"Yup. I loved strawberries, but I can't stand them right now." She wrinkled her nose. "Even thinking about them kind of makes me nauseous." She put the Nutella bottle down on the coffee table and got her lemon out, taking a good whiff of it. "I really love lemons. That's one of the things that stayed the same."

Ken nodded his head at that, not knowing what else to say. After confessing his feelings to her, he didn't really know how to act around her, especially now that she was obviously pregnant. In the back of his mind, he kind of had a futile hope of 'someday.' But he saw the way Leon took care of her, getting her water if she was thirsty, and helping her to the bathroom if there were stairs or even just one high step, regardless if he was practicing or not.

If that wasn't a man in love, then he didn't know what love looked like.

"Ken?"

"Ah, yes Sora?"

"Are we still friends?"

"…Of course we are."

She smiled fondly at him. Then, she offered him her Tupperware of eggrolls. "Wanna try it with Nutella?"

He shrugged. "Why not?"

He put a little bit on the edge and then took a bite. It tasted better than he thought it would.

SL

Kalos came back from the delivery room with his sleeve a little ripped.

"You can see them now."

The girls gleefully got up and migrated to the room. Ken followed behind and Leon made to as well, but then Kalos grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't go into the delivery room," the boss sternly advised, "when Sora gives birth."

Leon looked down at the man's sleeve and then quirked a brow. "I won't wear sleeves."

"You should. The scrubs aren't very thick."

SL

The Kaleido group huddled in front of the baby center window, looking for Sarah and Kalos' baby.

"The nurse said on the left…" Anna murmured.

"Oh wait, that one with the baby tuff of blond hair," Ken pointed out.

The girls cooed as the baby girl was lowered down into her bed.

"That's so sweet! I wonder how the Boss will be with a daughter."

"…I think you mean 'daughters'," May said as she pointed. "That other bin has their name too."

"Wait. Miss Sarah had twins?" Rosetta asked.

Mia clasped her hands together. "Now there are two little princesses to take over the diva's spot!"

"Poor Kalos."

"May!"

"What! It's going to be crazy having Sarah and two little mini hers around the house!"

"Double trouble!" Anna laughed.

SL

Leon came to the window, seeing Sora off to the side.

"Sarah had two kids. One was hiding behind the other so they didn't catch it in the ultrasound imaging. Apparently twins are typical on her mother's side of the family."

Leon quirked a brow. "Do you have any history of twins?"

"No. Do you?"

"Not that I am aware of."

Sora let out a relieved breath. "One at a time sounds a lot better for new parents."

"Yes." He grinned a little. "I don't think I could handle three Soras at the same time."

She pinched his arm and then hugged him as best as she could.

"I'm beat."

"Then let's go."

"…Leon?"

"Hmm?"

"Could we get a bed like the one at the hotel?"

"We'll see. Most of our budget's going into the nursery."

"Ah shoot, that's right. That's ok. Baby first."

"I have heard of body pillows," he murmured as she looped her arm through his. "They're supposed to be comfy for pregnancy."

"Could you –"

"I'll order one."

She smiled and then nuzzled his upper arm. "I love cuddling with you, but you're not really soft."

"I'm not certain whether to be offended or not."

She laughed, keeping her head on his arm.

SL

SL

SL

AN: Sooo...this was long already, which means their baby will be in the next one. I'm probably going to do time jumps in the next chapter. I'll let you know if there are significant jumps or not.

In my head, Leon and May are better friends after the whole 'make me eggrolls' incident. So the hug was just to show how more open Leon's getting with people other than Sora. That, and he's tired and really appreciates May making batches of eggrolls for them. XD

The pregnancy info I've been getting from a father's guide to pregnancy online. XD I'm only getting into a couple of things. So like her hormones, not calling her fat, taking up the chores or rubbing her back I got from the info on that site if you were curious.


	88. Chapter 88

SL

SL

SL

"Why would you do this to me?" Sora bawled with a tissue in her hand.

Leon sighed as he sat on the couch next to her. "I can get more green tea, but all we have is black tea right now."

She hiccupped a little, a frown quickly marring her face. "Not that. I'm talking about this!"

Leon followed her finger pointing at the screen. "You wanted a cartoon. All they had was 'Finding Nemo.' "

"But the mom dies at the beginning," she half sobbed, "and then only one little old fish egg is left, leaving the dad all depressed 'cause his son's crippled and motherless!" She gripped his arm tightly. "Promise me you'll remarry if something happens to me. I give you permission."

"What on earth – "

"Promise me!"

"…I think I will go and get the green tea," he got up from the couch, "do you want me to pick up some other foods from the grocery store?"

She blinked and then perked up. "Oh yes! I need Nutella, pickles, eggs – what's that French pastry that looks like a long donut log but secretly isn't?"

"_Éclairs_?"

"Yes! Get a ton of those, please. And plenty of peanut butter."

SL

The cashier rang out his total.

Leon swiped his card and then signed for the receipt.

"Have a nice day," the cashier said.

Leon gave a head nod to that, bags in hand. He beeped the car unlocked and started loading the bags in, placing the ice cream near the bottom and covering the other bags with it so the sun wouldn't get it. The days were still hot, though it was still summer so it wasn't really abnormal.

What was abnormal was his wife's moods.

This last trimester was swinging her moods back and forth from happy, sad, mad, then a little flirty, then back to either sad or upset. Just the other day, she yelled at him for putting the peanut butter on the shelf above its usual spot.

The doctor did warn him, as well as told him that he might be experiencing sympathy pains.

He had initially scoffed at the thought, but he did feel like his lower back was in more pain than it should be. Granted, he hadn't done solely silk acts in a long time, so part of the soreness was from that, but he didn't think it should be as much as it was.

At the thought of it, he subconsciously rubbed his back.

He felt like he needed to lie down.

He sighed and got into the car, swiftly putting the key into the ignition. As he drove down the street, he passed the bakery shop. With a soft curse, he remembered that she wanted éclairs.

He moved into the left turning lane to do a u-turn.

As he was about to turn, he saw a speeding red car zoom by from the side. A horn honked and the red car crashed into the blue car going straight. The cars screeched as they slid a little ways. Leon could see glass and metal from his mirror.

If he hadn't remembered the éclairs, that red car would have smashed into him…

He pulled into the bakery parking lot and just sat there for a while, numb.

SL

Leon returned solemnly.

Sora was still watching the cartoon, laughing at something that happened. "These seagulls are funny Leon!"

He nodded his head at that and then silently carried the bags into the kitchen. Quietly, he put the food away and then brought the éclairs over for Sora.

He plopped on the couch, putting the éclairs on the coffee table.

"…Leon?"

He looked over at her, face blank.

"What's wrong?"

He leaned over and held her, his hand stroking her hair. She blushed a little at the unexpected show of affection.

"Marry Ken," he murmured in her ear, "if something ever happens to me."

"What?"

He gave her a deep kiss. She mewled a little as his hands slipped under her big shirt and heatedly rubbed her back and then went up to cup her face.

Then, he released her. She breathed in long breaths.

He stood up. "I need to shower."

"What just happened?" she mumbled to herself.

SL

That night she held his hand as she hugged the body pillow.

Because she was holding his hand she felt him shudder. It wasn't a strong shudder and she would have missed it if they were not in contact. She cracked an eye open and saw his face buried in his pillow.

_Is he… crying?_

Her thumb rubbed his knuckles. "Did something happen today?"

He didn't respond. She sighed.

"You know I'll love you," she murmured, "whether you're here or not."

He uncovered his face a little, but with the shadow she couldn't really see his expression.

"Don't."

She frowned a little. "I thought you'd like that."

He exhaled long. "If I'm gone…that love will only hurt you."

Her eyes prickled with tears. "Maybe. But it'll also comfort me, knowing that I held nothing back from you." She brought his hand up to her face and rubbed her cheek against the back of his hand. "I think our love's worth it. Don't you?"

This time, she could tell he was crying.

It was quiet, like most of the things he did, but there was so much hidden in that sound that it made her heart ache.

"Come here, _anata._"

He scooted closer, burying his face against her neck. She ran her fingers through his hair as he wept.

"You're a good man," she whispered. "And I would make sure our child knew it, should the unfortunate happen." She felt some tears slip out of her eyes. "Will you promise to do the same, should anything happen to me?"

He wept harder, but she could feel him nod his head.

She closed her eyes and rested her cheek on the top of his head.

SL

The baby shower was at their place.

The women were in the living room while the men were out back with the bbq.

Leon helped himself to a beer in the cooler. He popped the lid off on the edge of the outside counter and then picked up the cap to throw away.

"So," Jerry slowly exhaled as he sat down on a chair near Leon, "Kate tells me that you're having a baby girl. You excited about it?"

"I'm ready, I believe." He hoped that he was, at least.

Kalos hnned before Leon could answer. "Sarah's already arranging playdates." He took a swing of his beer. "Suffice to say, our girls are going to be around each other a lot."

"Not so surprising," Leon acknowledged. He sighed and took a drink of his bottle. "I'm certain I can handle a girl."

Ken snorted into his drink. All eyes were on him.

"Ken doesn't think you can," Jerry heartily laughed.

"No!" Ken quickly rebutted, "I just think that childrearing isn't something you can fully anticipate. That's all."

"Especially with Sora's hyper genes," Kalos muttered.

"Yes," Ken smiled. "Just think of when she's older."

Leon quirked a brow. He practically raised his sister, so he hadn't thought that raising a daughter would be all that surprising.

"There'll be homecoming and prom," Jerry listed off, "her first period and growth with those hormones…you've got your work cut out for you, Leon!"

Leon pitched forward slightly with Jerry's pat.

He hadn't had to tell his sister about a period. He just found an adult woman in the circus to explain all of that for him. But now he _was _the adult. Hell, he was the father.

…Maybe it won't be quite the same as raising Sophie.

SL

Sora sighed as she tried to get comfy.

The body pillow just didn't seem to do the trick lately. She grunted a little as she got it a little more underneath her belly. She winced when the bed squeaked.

_Don't wake up. Don't wake up…_

"Can't sleep?"

_Drat!_

"Erm, no. Not really."

Leon rolled over to face her. "That's been happening a lot lately."

"Yeah." Sigh. "I've tried counting sheep, reciting rhymes, thinking about how soft the bed is, but nothing's working." She wiggled down on the pillow. "Can we just talk? Maybe that'll help."

A slow grin appeared on his face. "I'm always available for pillow talk."

Her face flushed. "You make it sound raunchy."

He throatily laughed. "Perhaps you're transferring your desire into what you hear."

"Or maybe it's _your_ desire, buster."

His eyes lidded. "I won't deny it."

She swallowed a little hard. "It's um, a little hot." She fanned herself and then tugged at the blankets. "Is the a/c on?"

"Yes it is." He pulled the blanket off of her. "Better?"

"A little, yes." Pause. "We only have one month left. How do you feel about it?"

"How do I feel? About what aspect, exactly?"

She shrugged. "Just in general." She bit her lower lip. "I'm kind of nervous."

He rubbed her arm. "I'll be there in the delivery room."

She gave a little smile. "Sorry beforehand if I say mean things."

He half shrugged. "You probably will. But I am responsible for your current state."

"Arrogant," she lightly pushed his shoulder, "it takes two to tango, buddy."

He smirked. "Yes indeed, my lithe dancer."

Sora laid a hand on the side of her stomach. "The baby's listening, so watch your language."

"Are you trying to cover her ear?"

She primly lifted her chin. "Yes, because daddy says whatever he wants."

He leaned over to her. "I haven't even begun."

He whispered in her ear and slowly she blushed but made no move to stop him when he just continued on.

SL

The delivery room was chaotic.

Electrical things beeped and hummed, nurses moved about doing who knows what. Sora gritted her teeth as she tried to do the breathing exercises from the childbirth class. They did the excelerated course since Leon's performances didn't allow him that much free time. But he was on paternity leave now; the show was replaced with The Little Mermaid until he returned in a month or so.

She felt Leon's hand on her shoulder, his hand a sure weight - for now, anyways.

"Ok, Mrs. Oswald," the doctor said from the stool between her legs. "Give me a good push!"

She fisted the blankets tightly as she groaned, pushing as much as she could. She gasped as she ran out of breath, her lungs desperately needing oxygen.

"I can't do this," she half cried. She felt like she's been pushing for hours and hours with no difference. She turned her sweaty face to Leon when she felt him wipe her face. "I want my mom."

"She's waiting out in the hall with –"

"My first mom," she cried.

He stilled for a moment, not knowing what to say. Then, he bent down to her ear. "She is here, Sora." He petted her head. "She's watching over you right now."

More tears came out of her eyes. "Dad too?"

"Both of them."

She weakly laughed. "They better not be near the doc." She looked down at the woman between her legs. "That's an awkward spot to be, parents or not."

He shook his head but offered a smile. "They're on this side with me."

He squeezed her hand.

"I need you to push again Mrs. Oswald!"

She grabbed Leon's hand and pushed, screaming long and hard.

Leon winced a little as she squeezed his fingers together. He hoped to God that was the last push or else his hand was going to be deformed.

"I see the head!"

Sora pushed again upon the doctor's orders and she finally felt her little girl leaving her.

"About," pant, "time."

The doctor suctioned stuff out of the baby's mouth and then smacked the red baby's rear. A small cry filled the room. Sora smiled a watery smile. That was her little girl, bawling and crying and very much alive. She didn't think she could handle it if her baby was a stillborn.

"Mr. Oswald, would you like to cut the umbilical cord?"

He went over to the doctor.

"Don't give her an outie belly button," Sora half panted. "Might motivate her to get a piercing there."

Leon quirked a brow. He hadn't considered that. He snipped the chord and then a nurse took the baby to get cleaned up and wrapped in a blanket.

"Mr. Oswald, you might want to step back to your wife's side," the doctor warned. "Unless you're ok with seeing the afterbirth."

He didn't need to be told twice.

SL

By the time they actually brought the baby home, her family from Japan had to leave.

Yumi was part of a summer preschool program to get her used to being away from home and her father was only able to take a couple of days off from work.

Layla sent a card with a note from Yuri, both of them congratulating them on their newborn.

Sora somehow had the energy to look after the baby, which was pretty ironic considering she had been the one to give birth. However, Leon had been up the two nights near her hospital bed in case she needed something or if the nurse came in to have Sora feed the baby. After the birthing, her iron levels had been low; they wanted to make sure she was fine before releasing her and the baby.

"Hello, little Sophia," Sora cooed as she fed their baby girl. Her little hands clung to her as she suckled. "This is our home. Isn't it nice? You can smell the lemon tree from the kitchen window." She walked from the kitchen to the dining area. "And that box in the corner is your high chair. Daddy will build it when you need it. But not yet," she nuzzled the soft baby cheek.

She walked over to the couch where Leon was napping. She could faintly hear snores and she had to smother a laugh upon hearing it.

"And there's daddy," she whispered. "He's pooped out. But look, he has silver hair too." She touched the soft, slightly curly baby hair. "That's where you got it from."

The baby fussed a little. Sora shushed her, rocking her in place.

"It's ok. Daddy will see you later."

SL

Leon abruptly woke up to the sound of crying.

He looked over at the baby monitor, seeing the little lights rise and fall with their baby's crying. Sora groaned and rolled over, nuzzling his neck.

"Could you get her this time?"

"…Alright."

She smiled and then kissed his neck. "Thanks, Daddy of the Year."

He quirked a brow. That was definitely a first. She giggled as he got out of bed and then she playfully patted his backside.

"Playful, are we?"

"Sorry," she stuck her tongue out when she saw his lidded eyes, "but no lovemaking tonight. Maybe in the morning." She brought her arm over her closed eyes. "I'm tired."

"I'll hold you to that."

She made a shooing motion with her hand. "Get Soph and I'll keep it in mind."

He rubbed his face and made some grunting sound. Their little darling loved midnight snacking. He only had a week left of his paternity leave and this phenomenon was to last several months. He might have to invest in earplugs or else he was going to slip off the silks.

He walked over to the crib and looked down at his bundle of joy kicking her little legs and arms out as she screeched.

"_Calm down little one," _he murmured in French. He liked to think that speaking in French helped. _"I'm here to take you to food."_

Sophia whimpered as her father picked her up. Her little hands grabbed ahold of his hair as he walked to the bedroom.

"_You have your mother's lungs," _he murmured. "_Hopefully you outgrow that._"

She gurgled something, making drool come out and drop on his sleepshirt. After the first time she drooled on him without a shirt, he made sure to _always_ wear one if he was going to be around her.

"_Here's food, little one."_

She gurgled again, this time with a chubby smile as she was transferred over to The Food Source, aka mom.

SL

During practice, Sora came in to watch with Sophia.

Ideally, she wanted to bring Sophia during an actual show, but she didn't think that their baby could keep quiet for two hours. Plus, she would have to be going in and out of her seat to change Sophia and feed her or just to rock her as she walked.

Sophia liked being in motion – she was definitely the product of acrobats.

"Ok baby," she settled herself down first and then put the chair next to her down to place the baby carrier on it. "We're fed, changed, burped, and overall clean. Did I miss anything?"

Sophia stuck her thumb in her mouth.

"Pacifier." She fished out a purple one with a little cupcake in the center from her big diaper bag. "Let's trade the thumb for this…"

The music changed, low rumbling drums sounding out with a trumpet.

"Oo daddy's coming!" She angled the carrier a little more. "Watch closely. This is what gave daddy the nickname, 'Pegasus of the Stage.'"

Out from the rafters came Leon all in white, matching white silks wrapped around him. His arms were spread out from behind him, making the long silk ends flutter outward like wings. He adjusted his arms and legs, the silks fluttering from over his shoulders as his limbs artfully struck out like horse legs. His long silver hair flowed like a mane, the contrast of white and silver making him look mythical.

Sophia's eyes widened a little; she even stopped sucking for a second.

"Isn't daddy amazing?"

Sophia started sucking her pacifier fast. Sora giggled and then leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"You are so excited, my little moonflower!"

SL

SL

SL

AN: Next chapter will be a jump of a couple of years, like two or four. As far as I can see, next chapter will be the last chapter. Makes me a little sad, but I think this story deserves an ending.

I used my imagination for why Leon would have that second nickname since the show doesn't say how he got it. Unless, it's like calling him a stud muffin of the stage...XD Then I can see how that goes without saying.

I thought about what the baby's name should be and I settled on Sophia. I didn't want it to be Sophie, but something similar. I'll kind of explain why in the next chapter.


	89. Chapter 89

SL

SL

SL

_Time passes…_

Swish, swish.

The backyard blurred a little as the swing from the lemon tree continued to move. Leon kept an arm around Sophia as she sat on his lap. Only being three years old, she wasn't quite ready to be on the swing by herself. But she loved swinging with daddy.

She giggled as daddy's hair tickled her leg.

He looked down at his little girl's silver plaid hair. "Higher?"

"Yeah."

A squeal of laughter came out as well as an anxious whimper when she happened to look down. Leon let the swing slow a little and then continued. Sora didn't like it when he went too high with her on, but luckily, she was still on the phone with Layla.

"Daddy?"

He look at her again, her pale green eyes striking for some reason. He swallowed a lump before he responded, "Yes, _mon trésor?"_

"I luv you."

His eyes widened a little. He stopped the swing as she tried to wrap her little arms around him. This feeling he had, so warm and aching, was something that was different from the way Sora made him feel, yet similar to how Sophie's affections felt like.

The feeling was strong enough to make his eyes sting.

"I love you," he murmured, holding his little girl gently, but as firmly as he could without hurting her, "so much."

"More than mommy?" came her muffled respond. "Mommy'll be mad."

He chuckled a little, "As much as mommy."

She was silent as her little mind tried to comprehend this. "That a lot of luv." She turned her face upwards to look at her daddy. "You culd 'xplode."

"What?"

" 'xplode," she calmly repeated, bringing her hands up to demonstrate, "_poosshh!"_

He let out a bark of laughter as well as some tears.

"Daddy, you eye," her hand came up to touch the wetness.

He wiped it. Once, he had told Sora that the dead could never return. However, at times like these he couldn't help but think how Sophia had inherited more than Sophie's pale green eyes.

Yet, she was still her own person.

Never once did he think his daughter was Sophie but he did see some similarities.

As he brushed aside some wayward hair from her face, he could see that she had the same doe shaped eyes as Sora and the small nose, then his silky hair, but slightly curly. The face shape was all Sophia's, being oval – though it may change as she grows up – as well as the little freckles along her upper cheeks.

Neither Sora nor himself had freckles.

It was an endearing though.

"Soph and Leon," Sora called out from the patio, "it's lunchtime!"

He put his girl down and she took off, sticking her arms out like an airplane.

"_Purrrrunnnn…" _Sophia paused, "Hi mommy!" And then she continued inside. "_Purrrnn…"_

"Make a stop to the bathroom," Sora giggled out, "those jet hands need washing!" She turned to her husband with a smile. "You have fun?"

He quirked a brow. "Of course."

She laughed and then slapped his shoulder. "Yes, because when you're with Leon Oswald, it's fun times all the time."

He smirked. "As you know."

She blushed a little. "So anyways," she cleared her throat as she went into the kitchen and grabbed the plates of sandwiches, "Layla and Yuri will be coming next week for some vacation time."

He opened the fridge to grab the pitcher of lemonade. "How was the honeymoon?"

Sora shrugged. "She didn't really say, but it was basically a tour of Europe." She put the plates down with a soft clunk, "That's gotta be fun."

He hnned to that, placing the pitcher down. "Are you upset?"

Sora lightly frowned. "About what?"

"We didn't have a honeymoon getaway."

"No," she mused and then with a grin, she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, "but I think the chateaux anniversary getaways more than make up for it."

He rubbed her side, putting his forehead on hers. "Is that so?"

She kissed him slowly, "For sure."

He kissed her back. "When's the next one?"

Her hand dug in his hair. "At least four months, my dear husband."

He pressed her closer to him, making her eyes darken in color. "I think we need one sooner."

Sora was kissing him deeply when she heard the engine of The Spirited Sophia coming. She broke off the kiss apologetically. "Sorry, but Soph's coming."

He pulled her back for one last kiss and then released her. They sat down for food, Sophia lightly humming as she ripped some of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich off and then ate it.

"Hm mmm hmm..."

"Soph?"

"Hmm?"

"It's been a while since you've stayed at Auntie Sarah's." Sora poured some lemonade in a small purple cup. "I'm sure Diana and Grace would _love_ to see you again."

"Can I mommy?" Sophia perked up.

Sora smiled, "Of course, darling."

Underneath the table, her foot nudged Leon, giving him a wink.

SL

They had been to dinner for a short record time.

Honestly, with her close fitted red dress and his charcoal dress shirt, they were lucky they made it to the restaurant.

On the floor of the bedroom was a mess of clothing, shoes, and her purse spilled open. She didn't think about what a pain it was going to be to pick up all of her purse's items and he didn't consider the fact that his crumpled dress shirt was going to be a pain to iron afterwards.

It was just her and him.

"_Kami_, Leon," she moaned while gripping his shoulder blades.

He continued making love to her while he sucked on her shoulder fervently. Some smooth saxophone sounded out from their sound system that he had prepared ahead of time, knowing that in the heat of the moment, all he would be capable of doing was pushing play before they pounced on each other.

It had been so long since he could have her without her fretting about whether Sophia would come in again. The first time, Sophia was taking an afternoon nap and they had thought they had enough time to be reacquainted with one another, when, in the middle of it, their little girl appeared at the doorway, asking for some juice.

Sora had been deeply mortified.

Ever since then Sora had been paranoid about traumatizing their innocent little girl any further. The sex talk was supposed to come much, much later.

Not when she was three.

Sora kissed the side of his face, nibbling along the top of his ear when she came across it. She felt him shudder. She nibbled a little harder, hearing him groan.

Then, over the smooth music, the house phone rang.

She froze. Then, made to get up.

He didn't get up. "It's most likely a solicitor."

"But what if it's Soph?"

He kissed her cheek and then looked straight at her. She had cut her hair about a year ago to shoulder length, making the back shorter than the front. He brushed her slightly damp side bangs.

"If it's an emergency, they'd call the cells."

She bit her lip as the home phone stopped calling, and then waited for the cells.

Nothing.

"Now then…"

He moved again and she bit her lip harder.

SL

She looked at his hand as they lay together, enjoying the feeling that came after lovemaking.

She turned his hand around to see his palm. It was so big, so calloused and strong. She knew he would move mountains should anyone he loves is in danger.

"Leon, I have something to tell you," she softly murmured, "but you have to promise to hear me out all the way first before commenting."

"…Are you pregnant with two or more kids?"

"What? No."

He relaxed a little. So it didn't have to do with that. "What's it about?"

"It's related to Sophia and the stage…" she turned her head to look at him, "will you promise to let me finish saying this?"

It was definitely cryptic, but he had hardly ever heard her so serious. "…Alright."

She took a breath in. "I don't know how long this has been going on, but the last time we took Sophia to the stage…I saw her talking in the corridor near Rosetta's dressing room. But no one else was around."

He quirked a brow. "She has an imaginary friend already?"

"No, Leon," she sighed, threading his fingers with hers for strength, "I think she's seeing the Spirit of the Stage." She looked up at the ceiling, recalling what the Fool looked like. "Back when I first started, I saw him too. He was a small spirit, about the size of your palm. He had blonde wavy hair and wore a fool's outfit with half a mask on. He only appears to those who are meant to be a Star of the Stage." She sighed. "Layla saw him too. And I think he's appeared in front of Rosetta."

"This spirit…if Sophia can see him, then – "

"She's meant to be a Star," she quietly finished. "Anyone who has strived for stardom has encountered strife and hardship." She cuddled closer to him for security. "…But I don't want Sophia to know those things."

"Sora," he calmly, carefully, said, "you are worrying about something that might not occur."

"I asked her and she described him, but see through," Sora half bit out. "The only good thing is that he's not solid yet, so she still has some time before being thrown into the battle of stardom." She felt some tears slip out of her eyes, "She's my baby, Leon. I don't want to see her hurt." She sniffled. "I mean, I'm worried enough over Rosetta's ultimate Duel with Fate."

He grabbed the sheet and brought it up to clean her face. "You forget that I am her father," he lowly murmured, "what worries you, worries me. This spirit…To be honest, I'm skeptical. However," he quickly added before she protested, "not because I do not believe you."

He looked a little lost in thought. When he first came, the image of Sophie's outline appeared to him a couple of times when he was trying to make Sora his partner. He had thought then that he was simply sleep deprived, but with what his wife was telling him, it made him wonder.

Was it the spirit of Sophie that had led him to Sora? Was it not some hallucination of a grief stricken brother?

"I may have had encounters with my sister's spirit," he murmured. "But I had not considered them as such at the time. I am…new to such a phenomenon." He cupped her face. "Whatever may come from our daughter seeing this spirit, she will not face alone." He brought her into his embrace. "As for Rosetta, you need to have faith in her abilities. Trust that May and I can train her. If that's not enough, you can help with the training."

"…Since when is your answer to a problem 'faith'?" she teased.

He sighed. "Then we'll train her until she passes out."

She giggled. "That's too harsh," she nuzzled his neck. "I think some faith sounds good."

SL

The next day at practice, May stomped over to Sora.

"I was calling you last night but you didn't answer!"

Sora blinked and then sheepishly shrugged. "Er, sorry. I was…busy."

May looked at the big hickey on her neck. "I can see that." Sigh. "You're the one that wanted to know how my date with Ken went."

"Oh that's right!" Sora grinned widely. "So, how did it go?"

May thinly regarded her. "We had dinner and then he spent the rest of the time puking in the bushes near the parking lot."

"Oh."

May sighed. "But I've allowed for a redo." She primly tossed her hair back over her shoulder. "He's fortunate I was in a forgiving mood."

Sora secretly smiled. She had a feeling it was more that May liked him enough to want to try it again. But she knew better than to voice the thought out loud.

Not if she wanted to keep her hearing.

"What's up with that grin?"

"N-Nothing! Just thinking about Soph. She did the cutest little drawing yesterday..."

SL

SL

SL

AN: Soooo it kept bothering me that it wouldn't be a nice even number if I ended it with this chapter. So I'll have one more to make it an even 90 chapters. It might be shorter than the other chapters, but I really want to add more cute things with Leon and Sophia.

I'm considering having a story of Baby Troubles surrounding Leon. It would be a stand alone, but I'm still considering it since I have other stories to finish.

I wondered what Leon would react to Sora telling him that she saw a spirit. "I see dead people...er...spirits." XD


	90. Chapter 90

SV

SV

SV

Five year old Sophia looked down from the highest part of the monkey bars.

On the ground level was a group of kids her age and a smaller group of seven year olds. The seven year olds ruled the playground with a tight fist. Any one who tried to be cooler than them got spiders in their hair or their juice boxes stolen. They did what they wanted and no adults ever caught them being mean. If any one told on them, they'd be labeled as a tattle tail for the rest of their life.

Sophia was no rat.

And she most certainly wasn't going to have a tattle tail - whatever that looked like.

Right now, though, as she tried to balance on the thin metal bar, she kind of wished she hadn't made that deal with the seven year old Alisha.

"You jump down all three levels without falling and you and your mutant friends will have immutany from us."

"Soph," Grace cried as her friend bent her knees, preparing to jump,"you don't need to do this!"

Sophia took a glance down at her twin friends Grace and Diana. They've been pals since they could remember. For whatever reason, Alisha and her group liked to pick on the twins, calling them aliens or little beasts. Maybe they had never seen twins before and that's why they thought they were strange, but that gave them no reason to be meanies.

Sophia bent her knees more and then jumped.

Little screams filled the air, half in awe as Sophia made the first jump, but she rushed the second jump, making her foot slip off the metal bar and mess up her landing.

"Soph!"

SV

On stage, the final run through for the show, _Thumbelina_, was in practice.

Sora, dressed in a tutu like short gown and flowers in her hair, twirled in the air, gossamer wings on her back. Leon, the fairy prince, twirled close behind her, hands on her hips like a ballerina. May, the swallow that had brought these two together, swung above with feathered wings.

Sora arched herself backwards, her arms going around Leon's neck and her legs around one side of his waist. She loved performing with him, especially at the level they were at. He was never far from her, reassuring her that he would be there should she somehow slip.

For he always caught her, securing her to him.

She sneaked in a kiss on the cheek. He tilted his head at the addition, but did not break character. Instead, he rested his forehead against her shoulder as they swung from the same bar. Her fingers dug into his hair and he was almost loathed to lift his head away for the next move.

Suddenly, though, the doors of the main stage flew open.

"Sora! Leon!" Ken panted as he ran down the many steps leading to the front stage. "You're needed on the phone!"

The music was cut off with Sarah's signal.

"This better be an emergency," Kalos warned as Ken stopped nearby.

"It," huff, "is."

The duo dropped down from the trapeze onto the net. Leon rolled off first and then had his arms out for Sora to jump. "Did Layla's water break already?"

"No," Ken took a long breath in as he held the phone out, "it's nothing to do with Layla and Yuri."

Leon took the phone from Ken. "This is Leon Oswald speaking."

Sora watched his face curiously as he listened. Then, she felt fear as his face paled, his lips parting ever so faintly in shock.

"We're leaving," he tersely informed Kalos.

Sora followed Leon when he gestured impatiently for her to come.

"When did this happen? How?"

She winced upon hearing the chilling tone of voice. She wanted to ask what was wrong, but she knew he'd tell her soon enough. She trusted her partner. She'll follow his lead.

For now, anyways.

Leon got in the car with the phone still to his ear. Sora bit her lip as she buckled in. It's been a while since she saw him so angry.

"I want whoever was supposed to be monitoring fired," he spat out harshly. "I assumed we put her there because your school was the best. I fail to see any reason to keep her there."

"School?" Sora stiffened for a couple of seconds, cold, frightening terror freezing her up. "Leon, is it Soph?" hastily, she gripped his arm, "_anata_, please tell me!"

She'd normally be ok with waiting, but not when Sophia was involved.

"...Soph's had an accident."

Her eyes welled up. "Accident? Is it serious?"

His mouth thinned into a tight line. She whimpered, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. Once Leon finally got the address for the hospital Sophia was in after waiting for the incompetent simpleton to _find _ the note the principal had given him, he hung up the phone and put the car in reverse.

Soon, they were speeding out of the parking lot, Sora crying a little in the passenger seat.

SV

The scene felt so familiar yet bizarre.

His little daughter was nearly engulfed by the big hospital bed, her small head of silver hair draped on the pillow. Her little arm and leg were elevated in the air, seeing as they were in casts.

For a moment, a bit of humor entered his thoughts.

"Like father, like daughter," Sora muttered under her breath.

"My thoughts exactly."

Sora shook her head. "Is it an Oswald thing to have casts?" Without waiting for his response, she plopped herself down on the chair near the bed. "If so, I'm doomed to eternal worry." She lifted her daughter's uncasted hand and kissed it. "What were you doing Soph?"

"Jumping off the monkey bars," Leon dryly informed her.

"What?"

Leon shrugged. "I was not told why. But Grace and Diana were there."

"So maybe Sarah could ask." Pause. "Did her girls do anything crazy?"

"No."

She sighed. "So we're the lucky ones."

Leon placed his hand on her shoulder. She reached up and placed hers on his.

"...This is similar to how I found you," she murmured, "back when you fell on the stage. Well, except you also had a head injury, which could have put you in a coma," she wiry added, "but otherwise, the same."

They were silent for a moment.

"I didn't know if you'd wake up or not," she half whispered.

"...Why did that worry you?"

She turned towards him. "Why?"

"We weren't on the best of terms yet."

She considered him now, and the Leon she knew then. "I'd seen a glimpse of your heart during Romeo and Juliet." She looked down at their daughter, her fingers caressing the back of his hand. "Then you fell when I left you."

"My injuries were not your fault," he quietly murmured.

She bit her lip. "It felt like it was." she exhaled slowly. "You were deserving of a second chance. If in a coma, you couldn't have that opportunity."

He leaned down and embraced her from behind the chair, his chin on top of her head.

"That was a slim chance."

"A chance, just the same."

He kissed the top of her head. She closed her eyes, reveling in his embrace.

SV

Sophia awoke to an annoying beeping sound.

Her body felt really weird and her right leg and arm super stiff and itchy.

"Mommy? Daddy?"

Sora stirred from her uncomfortable position on the chair. "Sophia sweetie!" She took her hand and kissed it repeatedly. "_Kami_, I didn't know if you hurt your head too!"

Sophia tried to talk again, but her throat felt dry.

"W-a-ter, mommy."

"Yes. Right." Sora poured the pitcher of water into a clear cup, her hand shaking a little. Then, she struggled ripping the straw free from the paper, finally getting it out and putting it in the cup. "Here baby. Drink it slowly."

"Where's daddy?"

"Daddy went to get food, baby. He'll be back soon." Sora put the cup down and then sat up straighter. "Soph, you're not to jump off of monkey bars again. If you want to learn gymnastics, Kaleido Stage has kid classes that are safer."

Soph blearily nodded. She really didn't feel like going through this again.

Sora's stern face eased. Then, she leaned over and kissed her daughter's forehead.

"I love you my little moonflower."

"Love you too mommy."

SV

Late at night when the parents were asleep, Sophia saw her friend.

_"Poor little Sophia." _Fool shook his head as he eyed the casts. "_I told you doing that stunt wasn't a good idea."_

"...How come I can see you better now?"

_"Eh? Oh you can, can you? Very interesting." _He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. _"Today's performance must have cemented some idea in your head that will benefit the stage." _He hovered closer to her. _"What were you thinking about before jumping?"_

Sophia shrugged and then winced. "I just wanted to protect my friends. Alisha said she'd leave them alone if I did that trick."

_"Hmm. Perhaps 'Protector of the Stage' is your role..."_

"What? You're talking too quietly."

_"It was nothing," _he waved off _"just thinking out loud."_

He didn't repeat what he said, neither did he tell her the reading he got when Alisha and her faced each other earlier that day on the playground.

They were meant to be the other's catalyst.

But if they were both destroyed or both successful would be up to them.

SV

Leon pushed Sophia's wheelchair to the hall of the Kaleido Stage.

Balloons and treats were around, as well as all of their friends.

"Welcome Back" was the banner hanging from the rafters and colorful streamers all around. Sophia smiled big and wide, especially when Grace and Diana came over. The twins had side ponytails opposite of the other, differentiating them, but who was who was only known to those who knew them well.

Soph looked up at her dad. He got the hint.

"I'll go get some punch." He put the stopper on the wheels and left.

"Hi Soph!" The twins chimed in at the same time, offering daisies.

Soph took them happily.

"Are you feeling better?" Grace quietly asked, her pointer fingers pushing against each other nervously. "We didn't mean for you to get hurt."

"'s not your fault! We're friends! We gotta protect each other!"

Grace smiled. Then, they went on either side and kissed Soph's cheeks.

Sora watched the girls from the punch table and nearly melted inside. She leaned over to Leon's ear as he finished pouring the juice.

"I think we need another kid."

He looked at her, amused. "Do we now?"

She nudged his cheek. "A silver haired prince."

"What if the baby turns out to be another girl?"

She smiled coyly. "Then we try again, _anata._ Besides, can't have too many princesses," she teased.

"Whatever you wish," he murmured, putting the cups down to pull her to him, "it shall be so."

They started kissing.

"For the love of all things holy,"May loudly exclaimed when the couple blocked the punch table, "get a room!"

Sora broke the kiss and looked at May. "You'll change your tune once Ken and you tie the knot."

May's face broke out in red. "Who said we're ready to get married?!"

Sora gave her a look. "May. Please. I have eyes."

"You didn't used to!"

"Hey, Leon had weird dating methods!"

"I beg your pardon?" Leon tilted his head.

"There's no need to beg, dear," Sora patted his hand, "you were absolutely charming and a trickster wrapped into one. I found it attractive, once I understood it."

Leon quirked a brow. He wasn't certain he should respond to that.

"You guys are embarrassing!" May shouted and then stomped away.

Sora leaned her head on his shoulder. "I love my life."

He looked around in the hall, seeing their friends, co-workers, and his daughter- safe, happy, and very much alive.

He loved it too.

SV

SV

SV

The End.

AN: Alright, it ends at a clean 90 chapters! I didn't want to wrap everything up so perfectly, so sorry if you don't like it when things are left open ended. XD It used to annoy me, but then I came to appreciate it.

Thank you all for reading and reviewing! :D It's been a long journey!


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